


Dirty Little Secret

by spideynoir



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends With Benefits, Mystery, Older Characters, PeterMJ - Freeform, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man - Freeform, spiderman - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-05-31 20:28:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 71,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15127241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spideynoir/pseuds/spideynoir
Summary: MJ is now a successful journalist in New York. Peter is getting his masters while handling two jobs at once. When they reunite after years of not seeing each other since high school, it reignites a flame between them that neither expected to feel again. Starting a relationship isn't an option, but what if they remove all the complications of dating and keep all the... fun? While MJ deals with finally letting her guard down, Peter struggles to keep his two worlds from colliding. Not to mention that a dangerous menace has reached their city and now Peter has to do everything in his power to protect those he cares about.





	1. Monsters in the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> So excited to finally share this story! It's fun and mysterious and everything in between and I can't wait to see this grow along with all of your thoughts and comments on it. 
> 
> Keep in mind, that these characters are older now and for writing purposes, Peter survived whatever happens in Avengers 4. MJ still doesn't know that Peter is Spider-Man and there might be some changes here and there but Peter and MJ's personalities remain all the same.
> 
> This is a friends-with-benefits story but it won't be the whole story. 
> 
> Enjoy (:

The body isn’t supposed to forget how to breathe.

 

So why did it feel like Peter’s lungs were constricting, unabling oxygen to flow through?

 

“No,” he moaned in his sleep. He writhed in his sheets, sweat drenching them.

 

His eyelids remained shut but his eyes moved wildly underneath them, as if he was seeing nothing and everything at the same time. His breathing was uneven and shallow, a few gasps escaping here and there.

 

The rest of New York City slept, unbothered, as the rain poured down on the streets, making the world a lot more darker than usual. A flash of lighting and the roar of thunder suddenly woke Peter. He sat upright in his bed with his fists clenching his sheets.

 

He panted as he ran his hands down his face and then up and through his hair. He looked outside his window as he gathered his surroundings. After a few minutes of trying to calm himself down, he threw the covers off and stood before making his way into the bathroom. Pulling on the small string attached to a lightbulb, the fading light illuminated his face reflecting back at him through the mirror. His eyes were hollow, his skin pale and clammy. His brown curls were in disarray. The vague shadow of facial hair made him aware that he was due for a shave.

 

He leaned down and splashed his face with some cool water and gripped the edges of the sink as he reminded himself that it was all a dream.

 

_More like a nightmare._

 

He decided that making some coffee or tea will help him relax but as he exited the bathroom and started to make his way downstairs, he felt his legs shake like as if he had just run a whole marathon.

 

“C’mon, Peter. It’s over. You’re awake now,” he muttered to himself as he forced himself down onto the first floor where it opened up to his living room/kitchen.

 

He checked the time on the microwave; a little after five. That meant he wouldn’t even be able to try to sleep again before getting ready for school.

 

He opened a cabinet and frowned when he saw he was missing both coffee _and_ tea.

 

“Crap,” he said and returned back up the stairs and into his closet. He figured he could go grab a drink at the coffee shop down the street.

 

Leaning down, he pulled out a huge, black trunk and laid his thumb on the bottom right side. A small _ping_ signaled his thumbprint was approved and a small latch protruded from the top. Peter pulled the chain that hid underneath his shirt and retrieved the small key that hung from it. He slid the key in, turned it and the trunk popped open.

 

Inside, a black spandex-like material covered whatever was underneath it. Peter grabbed his suit and stared at it, thinking if maybe he should skip the coffee run and check out what was happening in the city instead.

 

He shook his head and dropped it back down, pushing it aside to grab his favorite sweater. “Sorry, Karen,” he said, as he locked the trunk and pushed it out of view.

 

He slipped on his sweater and grabbed his keys, wallet, and phone from his bedside table. Near the door, he put on his shoes and was about to seize his umbrella when he decided against it and walked out.

 

The air outside was cold and crisp and Peter could already feel his mind clearing. The rain had ceased but a small drizzle still fell on his cheeks so he reached for his hoodie and placed it over his head.

 

He began his walk down to the coffee shop, digging his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. The streets were almost empty; a few taxis driving by and even a few people running past on their morning jog.

 

It’s been years since the war had occurred and although the nightmares have continued here and there, they were never like how it was tonight. It had felt too _real_.

 

Soft, yellow light glowed through the windows of the coffee shop as Peter neared it. He descended the small steps that led to their door and walked in, cleaning his wet shoes on the mat. The strong aroma of coffee and sweets hit his nostrils and he inhaled deeply, welcoming it. He slid his hoodie off and walked to the counter. Steam billowed from a machine as three baristas were hard at work completing orders.

 

“Chamomile tea with sweetener, please,” he ordered as he took out a couple of bills to pay with.

 

“It’ll be out in a few minutes,” the lady behind the counter told him.

 

He nodded his thanks and turned to look for a seat. He found one near the windows, overlooking the street. He sat and noticed the sky beginning to get a bit lighter since he left his apartment. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his text messages until he found Ned’s name. He thought about calling him but then he remembered that he was probably still asleep. Aunt May too.

 

Peter sighed and put his phone down on the table and crossed his arms.

 

“Your tea,” the lady announced as she placed a black cup with its adjoining plate down in front of him.

 

“Thank you,” Peter muttered, barely glancing up.

 

He grabbed his cup and blew into it before taking a small sip. The warm and tangy liquid slid down his throat, spreading its warmth all throughout his body.

 

_Perfect._

 

He continued to take small sips while he looked out the window, the sidewalk becoming a bit more crowded as people began their day. He watched feet dash this way and that, taking a look at their owners occasionally.

 

One pair of rainboots caught his attention and when he glanced up to see who dared wear such eccentric shoes, he choked on his tea, some of it coming up and out of his nose.

 

“Fuck!” He cursed under his breath as he tried to clean both his mouth and nose with the sleeve of his sweater.

 

He looked outside and the source of his almost-death was still standing outside. He recognized that face. He hadn’t seen that face since… well since high school!

 

Peter thought about going outside and saying hi but then he looked down at himself and frowned. He was in the same clothes he had slept with, not to mention _sweated_ in. He hadn’t fixed his appearance since he last saw himself in the mirror so there was no way he was going out and greeting her like _this._

 

He peered out the window again, carefully this time as to not attract any attention. He no longer saw her standing outside but then the door opened, letting the sound of the outside world in for a moment before it became muffled again.

 

“Shit. Crap,” Peter whispered harshly as he tried to find a way to hide himself.

 

The familiar face had just walked in, along with a much smaller woman, who followed right behind her to the counter.

 

Peter pulled his hoodie up and stared down at his tea, his senses allowing him to listen in to what they were saying.

 

“This is a great place, MJ! How’d you find it?” The small woman chirped.

 

“Don’t call me MJ. Only my friends call me MJ.”

 

Peter glanced up then. Their backs were facing him but her wild curly hair identified her right away.

 

“But… I’m your assistant,” the woman added, a hint of hurt in her voice.

 

“And…? MJ asked, looking down at her assistant. Peter remembered how tall she used to be back in high school. “Don’t worry, Linda. You’ll get there.”

 

Linda smiled then, and nodded, content that she at least had a chance of having the honor to call her boss by her nickname.

 

Peter took the chance to admire the slight change MJ had gone through since high school. Her hair was pulled back in a half ponytail, the rest falling down almost to her waist. She wore jeans but a suit jacket on top. Then there were her bright blue and red rain boots and Peter couldn’t help the big grin that formed on his lips. He guessed that nothing much had changed then, except their age.

 

He was too busy checking her out that he hadn’t noticed her and Linda had turned around so that they were facing him.

 

“Holy _shit._ ”

 

His blood drained from his face as his eyes went wide with shock.

 

“Peter Fucking Parker,” MJ whispered, a small half-smirk planted on her face.


	2. All Caught Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plan is to update weekly, but depending on how far ahead I get with the chapters, I may post more than once a week!
> 
> So glad people are enjoying this so far! <3

It was like he was back in high school and he wanted the ground to swallow him up from embarrassment.

 

He groaned silently and winced before he mustered up a small smile up to MJ, who stood grinning at him, enjoying his small torture.

 

“Hey, MJ,” Peter greeted her.

 

“Hey yourself!” She then turned towards her assistant. “Linda, go ahead and wait for me back at the office. I’ll be there in a bit.”

 

“Yes, of course! Nice to meet you Mr. Peter Fucking Parker,” Linda hooted before making her way towards the door. “I’m Linda, by the way!” She added and then disappeared outside.

 

“Can I sit?” MJ pointed at the seat across from him. When Peter didn’t reply, she shrugged and sat down anyway, placing her cup down on the table. “Shit, it’s been like what… four or five years?” She crossed her arms, like someone would do when they’re cold, and stared at him.

 

Peter noticed that her eyelashes now looked darker and bolder, making her eyes stand out more. Her lips had a tint of gloss but he figured it could’ve come from a lip balm. He didn’t even think about how he was head-on staring at her lips until he saw them move into a smirk.

 

He blinked several times and shook his head before replying, “Uh, yeah, yeah… since high school, I think?”

 

“Ah, Midtown High. Such weird memories I have of that place,” she chuckled softly before taking a drink from her cup.

 

“Weird? How?” Peter asked. As far as he remembered, she always kept to herself and even when she hung out with him and Ned, she didn’t speak much.

 

“Well _you_ guys made it weird. How’s Ned, by the way?”

 

“He’s good. No, yeah, we work together at Columbia,” Peter mentioned as he pushed down his hoodie from his head. He tried to blindly pat his hair down.

 

“No way, so you guys are still geeks?” She laughed.

 

Peter rolled his eyes but managed to let out a laugh too. “It’s what we’re good at, what can I say?”

 

“Yeah, you’re right. Both of you were some of the smartest people I knew.”

 

Peter looked at her in surprise. She rarely complimented people, much less him and Ned. _What had he missed since high school?_

 

“Not that you care but I’m a journalist now,” she smiled proudly, leaning forward on her elbows.

 

“That doesn’t surprise me at all, to be honest.”

 

“How so?” She narrowed her eyes, doing that thing that makes Peter feel like she’s trying to read his mind.

 

Peter shrugged, “You were always reading. Plus, you have always been into protests and stuff. You believe in informing everyone about how fucked the world is. I don’t know, it fits you.”

 

She looked like she wanted to smile but covered it up with a cough. “Didn’t know you actually noticed that stuff about me.”

 

“I can be very observant,” Peter smirked.

 

“Whatever,” she muttered, clearly understanding the inside joke. “I love it, though. Except my boss can be a pain in my ass but he respects me enough.” She looked down at her cup, rotating it with her fingers.

 

Peter couldn’t help but smile. He felt so at ease, even though he was caught looking the worst he’s ever been. MJ looked great; with her loose black blouse underneath her pressed suit jacket. He always thought she was pretty but never dared tell her, in fear she might punch him.

 

He had a feeling MJ saw him differently but could never pinpoint as to why or how. Not to mention that after the war, he could barely focus enough to look further into it. But the war had long been over and his life had been steady so far, so now he wondered if it would hurt to get a bit closer-

 

“Shit, I’m gonna be late,” MJ said after looking down at her watch. She grabbed her cup and stood up, Peter following her movements.

 

MJ’s eyes then glided down his body and slowly back up again. Peter cursed at himself as he remembered that he probably looked like someone homeless. “You look great, Parker. It’s nice to hear your voice dropped an octave.”

 

They both laughed before Peter spoke, “And it’s nice to know you haven’t changed one bit.”

 

She smiled at his comment. “It was good seeing you again.”

 

“Yeah, you too, MJ.”

 

Peter didn’t know if to give her a hug or to shake her hand so he just nodded and waved. She rolled her eyes playfully and waved back before turning around and leaving him standing there, feeling like the dumbest person alive.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Good morning, Peter.”

 

“Hey, Karen. Listen, I need you to look into a name for me,” Peter asked as he put on his pants and reached for a random shirt in his closet. He wore his mask as he talked to his interface while getting dressed for school.

 

“Sure. What’s the name?” Karen replied.

 

“Michelle Jones.”

 

“Michelle Jones. Journalist. Recently appointed head of the Current Events section at the _Daily Bugle_ -”

 

“ _What?!”_ Peter froze.

 

“Recently appointed head of the Current-” Karen repeated.

 

“No, no I got that. She works at the _Bugle_?” Peter groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Thanks, Karen. I’ll talk to you later.”

 

Peter took off his mask and let out a huge sigh. Things just got more twisted.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Ned!”

 

“Hey, Peter,” Ned murmured, not looking up from the pile of papers surrounding him on his desk.

 

“Ned, guess who I ran into this morning,” Peter blurted out. He dropped his backpack on top of all the papers.

 

That got Ned’s attention. “Dude! I still have over a hundred papers to grade or Ferguson will have my ass! I can’t believe you convinced me to be a TA when I could have been managing Games-”

 

“MJ, Ned! I ran into MJ,” Peter told him.

 

Ned’s eyes went wide. “Whoa! We haven’t talked since-”

 

“Graduation, yeah! She’s a journalist now and you won’t believe where she’s working.” Peter watched as Ned got up from his desk and then furrowed his eyebrows, thinking.

 

“Oh, no,” he whispered as he came to the realization.

 

“The _Daily Bugle_ , Ned!”

 

“Okay, so she works where you work. _Sometimes._ What’s the big deal?” He grabbed Peter’s backpack and dropped in onto the floor.

 

“Remember how she used to be back in high school? She used to ask all these weird questions when I ran off. I sometimes got the feeling like she _knew_.”

 

“So you think she’s working where you work to expose you?” Ned asked.

 

Peter didn’t reply right away. He didn’t know exactly why having MJ work in the same building as him had made him freak out. “I guess it’s just another person I have to keep secrets from.”

 

He reached down for his backpack and slung it onto his shoulder. He finally looked up at Ned, only to find him grinning like a maniac.

 

“What the hell?” Peter chuckled nervously.

 

“You like her,” he simply said.

 

“What? No! I mean, she looks different, yeah, but come on. It could never work out,” Peter shrugged.

 

“Why not?” Ned stacked his papers together and stuffed them into his own backpack. They both began to exit Professor Ferguson’s office and out onto the Columbia University’s grounds.

 

“You know I can’t do relationships. And everytime I try with one, it always comes back and slaps me in the face.”

 

Ned just nods but doesn’t add anything else. They near the school’s café and they both order their usual. They talk about splitting grading the papers between them to lessen the workload but Peter’s thoughts are somewhere else.

 

He couldn’t push away the nostalgic feeling of seeing MJ again. Like a piece of home had found him. And what if they did work together? He wasn’t there all the time, only to just to drop off his work. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad…

 

“I’m going with you tomorrow to see her,” Ned interrupts his thinking.

 

“Huh? No. No way!” Peter shakes his head.

 

“Oh, yeah. I’m definitely going,” Ned smirks. “I can already see her face when I tell her all the embarrassing shit we’ve done.”


	3. Surprise Takeout (MJ's POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see from the title, this chapter will be in MJ's pov and I'll be switching from her to Peter throughout the story!
> 
> Hope you guys like this one! 
> 
> -N xx

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” MJ murmured to herself as she pushed away the article Linda had left on her desk that morning.

 

She had read the same sentence over ten times already and she still had no clue what it was about. She placed the end of her pen in her teeth and wiggled the mouse from her computer to wake it up. She opened Google and searched for ‘Columbia University’ and then moved her way through the website until she found what she was looking for.

 

“Crap.” There were over one hundred different faculty and staff and MJ didn’t remember if he had mentioned what department he and Ned worked in.

 

“Okay, Peter. What subject were you good at during high school?” She whispered to herself. She then rolled her eyes, “You were practically good at everything. You even aced Spanish, for crying out loud.”

 

“Are you talking to yourself?”

 

MJ jumped in her seat and then groaned when she saw Linda standing by the doorway of her office.

 

“It’s okay if you were, I do it all the time,” Linda giggled before she stepped forward.

 

MJ minimized the window and tried her hardest to smile. She liked Linda, she was an amazing assistant but her bubbly personality was still something she had to get used to. 

 

MJ raised her eyebrows at Linda, signaling for her to continue.

 

“Oh! Um,” Linda blinked repeatedly before pointing at the article MJ had barely started to read. “Are you done going through that? There’s no rush! It’s just that, um, we still have to go through the other ones for your next segment in next week’s paper.”

 

“Right. Shit. Sorry, Linda,” MJ shook her head and pulled the article back in front of her. “I was a little distracted,” she glanced up at her computer screen, “I’ll be done with it by the end of lunch.”

 

“Perfect! So you’ll be staying in? Do you want me to get you anything?” Linda offered.

 

MJ genuinely smiled this time. “Sure. How about Chinese? Get yourself anything you want while you’re there.”

 

“Goody!” She chirped and MJ had to remind herself not to roll her eyes in front of her. “Be back in a jiffy!”

 

“Great,” MJ mumbled, stretching out the word.

 

She looked down at her work and closed her eyes, took a deep breath and forced her brain to push all thoughts ‘Peter’ for later. 

 

_No, not_ _‘later’. How about ‘never’?_

 

She couldn’t afford to waste time on guys, especially old crushes that seemed to irk her into insanity 98% of the time. Seeing Peter after so many years had made her day yesterday and she was still a bit shocked at how different he looked. He still had the innocent, geeky look in his eyes but he looked like a  _ grown up _ . Not to mention that the way he kept glancing at her had made her stomach scream in either excitement or agony.

 

MJ chose the latter.

 

She had moved on from the boy who always seemed to be hiding something. She even gave up on the ridiculous idea that Peter was actually a superhero that helped catch criminals in New York. 

 

_ So stupid. _

 

Seeing Peter was a one time thing. This city was  _ huge _ and it would be rare to run into him again. She needed to focus on her new job and make a good impression. She had no time for distractions.

 

When she opened her eyes, she jumped in her seat once again, this time letting out a small yelp. Linda was leaning forward on her desk with a huge, stupid grin on her face.

 

“Shit, Linda! I thought you were gone! Why… Why are you looking at me like that?!” MJ grimaced and pushed herself a few inches away from her desk and Linda.  _ Weirdo. _

 

“Mr. Peter Fucking Parker is here!” Linda practically screeched. “And he brought a  _ friend _ .”

 

“What? That can’t be-”

 

Linda’s eyes moved to her left, telling MJ to look over her shoulder. She leaned a bit to the right and sure enough, through the glass windows of her office, she saw Peter Fucking Parker standing near the entrance with Ned next to him.

 

Peter looked in her direction just in time and gave her his famous smile; the one where his lips formed one straight line. She smiled back and then laughed when Ned came into her vision, waving excitedly.

 

“Should I let them in?” Linda asked.

 

“Sure,” MJ replied and watched as Linda exited her office and approached the guys.  They began to make their way toward her office and all of a sudden she grew nervous. And she  _ hated _ it.

 

“-some Chinese, would you guys want some?” Linda asked as all three of them entered.

 

“That would be great! I’m starving,” Ned replied, smiling his big cheesy smile.

 

“You got it! Be right back!” She waved and then left, leaving them alone. 

 

MJ stood and approached Ned. “Hey, Ned. I like your glasses,” she told him as they hugged tightly.

 

“Thanks! They make me look smarter,” he grinned.

 

MJ turned to face Peter and she just nodded. “‘Sup, Parker.”

 

“MJ,” he simply replied.

 

He had shaved from the last time she saw him and it made him look more like his high school self. He wasn’t in sweatpants and a jacket but instead wore a black unbuttoned shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a geeky science shirt underneath and jeans. She never quite understood his fascination with those shirts.

 

“You are both so weird,” Ned said. “So much tension!”

 

MJ cleared her throat and crossed her arms. “How did you guys find me?”

 

“Peter works here!”

 

“Ned!” Peter scolded him.

 

“No, he doesn’t!” MJ chuckled and then looked at Peter. “No, you don’t.”

 

He raised his hand to rub the back of his neck. “Not full-time, at least. I just take some pictures for the paper every now and then.”

 

“Right.”

 

_ Well, shit.  _ So much for no distractions.

 

“I didn’t know you were into photography,” MJ added. “What do you take pictures of?”

 

“Uh,” Peter stalled as he looked over at Ned.

 

Ned stared back, stuttering. “He… He takes pictures of…”

 

“Of... of buildings. Skyscrapers!” Peter finished for him. “You know? A lot of them. Here. In New York,” he laughed nervously.

 

MJ narrowed her eyes at both of them before shaking her head. “You guys are such idiots.”

 

And just like that, the tension Ned had pointed out, disappeared and they were back to being the losers from high school who teased one another.

 

Linda came back with their food and joined them as they all took their own take-out box and picked a seat, except for Peter, who stood near MJ’s back window.

 

While Linda and Ned engaged in a conversation about some new sci-fi movie, MJ approached Peter and reached into his box for some kung pao chicken. He grinned down at her as she popped it into her mouth.

 

It had started to rain again, the clouds darkening the sky, making it seem like it was late evening and not just noon. Pedestrians were hidden underneath umbrellas as cars turned on their headlights, illuminating their path.

 

“You know how I said you haven’t changed at all?” Peter spoke.

 

MJ nodded and stared at his side profile as he continued to look out the window.

 

“You have, actually. In a good way! I think?” He added quickly. “What I meant to say is that you’re not as mean as you used to be. Not towards me, at least.”

 

“Some things are better left unsaid,” she smirked and tapped her temple.

 

This earned her a soft small laugh from him which made her smile but she bit her lip to keep herself from doing so.

 

“Yeah, I remember how hard it was to try to get into your head,” he admitted.

 

“That’s a fucking lie. You never even tried, Parker,” she rolled her eyes.

 

“That’s because you scared the shit out of me,” he replied and then his eyes went wide, as he realized what he had just said. “No, wait. Sorry! I didn’t mean-”

 

“Cool it, dude,” MJ patted his arm. They both looked down at where her hand had made contact with his skin and she quickly pulled her hand away. “I know I was scary back then and I kinda still am today but I do it for work because that’s what gets you the dirty information. I guess I made myself that way in high school because,” she shrugged, “I’d rather be feared than stepped all over.”

 

He nodded. “Makes sense.”

 

“We were kids back then too,” she added. “We’ve grown. For the most part, I think?”

 

“I think I’m still a few inches shorter than you, though,” Peter replied.

 

This made MJ laugh and it was a real laugh, not the kind she forced to do just to make someone feel good about themselves. He seemed to notice as he had a big smile plastered on his face; so big, it almost annoyed her.  _ Almost. _

 

“Looks like even your jokes got better over time,” she told him in between her laughter.

 

His eyebrows shot up before his lips formed a small smirk. “What else got better over time?” He asked as he took some of her green beans. 

 

“What? What are you talking about?” MJ scrunched up her face, confused.

 

“You said that even my jokes got better. So... what else?” He looked like he was enjoying her puzzlement. 

 

“It’s just a  _ saying _ . Don’t think about it too much,” she frowned and looked down to cover the blush she felt creeping up her cheeks. 

 

She never  _ blushed _ . She never even had to cover her face so that nobody would see it. She was always straightforward, never having to hide herself.

 

_ What the fuck was wrong with her? _

 

Maybe nothing was wrong with  _ her _ , specifically. Maybe it was the fact that she had developed a huge crush on him during high school and had kept it to herself all this time and now he was here and they actually seemed to be getting along. Maybe being here with him, Ned, and even Linda, made her feel comfortable, like she belonged; something she hadn’t felt in quite a long time.

 

Maybe she was scared this was all too good to be true and it’ll all be taken away. Again.

 

_ God, she needed a fucking drink. _

 

“That sounds like a great idea!” Ned said and MJ realized she had actually spoken her thoughts.

 

“What?” Both MJ and Peter asked at the same time.

 

“Let’s go out for drinks! Tonight!” Ned looked like a little kid who had just been told he was going to Disney World. 

 

“On a weekday? I have a lot of work…” MJ started.

 

“Yeah, Ned. We have all those papers to grade,” Peter added.

 

“Don’t worry about work,” Linda told MJ. “It doesn’t have to get done until next week, anyway.”

 

MJ narrowed her eyes at Linda, who avoided making eye contact. Earlier this morning she seemed concerned about MJ finishing the article and now she could care less.  _ What was she up to? _

 

“Awesome! So, tonight? At eight? You can come, Linda!” MJ had missed Ned’s enthusiasm and now that she thought about it, it almost matched Linda’s.

 

Peter turned towards her and shrugged. “Guess I’ll see you later tonight?”

 

MJ shrugged back and cleared her throat. “Guess so.”

 

She didn’t understand why her chest was pounding so hard. Out of panic or excitement, she couldn’t figure it out. All she knew, was that her plan to stay focused and not worry about a certain geek had gone down the drain and now she was left wondering if she was willing to let him try and do something she wouldn’t have allowed him to do so many years ago.

 

To get close to her. Close enough to break her. 


	4. The Beginning (Peter's POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A longer chapter than the previous ones but definitely one of my favorite ones to write so far. Hope you guys like it!
> 
> -N

“Are you wearing it tonight?”

 

Peter looked up from his notes as Ned walked into his apartment. They only had a few more hours before they left to meet with MJ and Linda but Ned was already dressed for the night.

 

“Don’t know yet,” Peter muttered, returning his attention back to the textbook in front of him. He knew Ned was referring to his suit that he had hidden back in his trunk after returning from lunch. “It might be too risky. But then…”

 

“What if something happens, yeah,” Ned finished for him. They both stayed silent for a few moments. “Do you think I should wear a tie? Or is that too fancy?”

 

Peter raised his eyebrows questioningly. “Why- No. No tie. Why are we even doing this, Ned? We _never_ go out for ‘drinks’.”

 

“That’s _exactly_ why,” Ned replied, pointing at him. He walked towards Peter’s fridge and took out a water bottle. “We’re adults now, Peter. We can _legally_ drink alcohol. We can _legally_ get drunk now and it’s _okay_.”

 

“I can’t get drunk, Ned. My body just breaks it down too fast,” he reminded him.

 

“True. But _I_ can,” he winked. “Come on, dude. Don’t you want to see MJ again?”

 

“Well, yeah-”

 

“Then I’m doing you a favor!” Ned exclaimed.

 

Peter closed his textbook and gathered his notes. “She’s changed, you know? We were friends back at Midtown but not like how you and I are friends. Now, she seems more approachable. Like she’s letting me get to know her and I don’t know if that’s a good thing.”

 

“Why not?” Ned asked.

 

Peter zipped up his backpack and sighed. “Because almost everyone I care about gets hurt or they end up de-” Peter pauses. “Getting involved with MJ will only put her in danger later on.”

 

“Peter, it’s just _one_ night. If you still don’t want to see her again after tonight, then fine. But I think we both deserve a few more hours of normalcy.”

 

“Are you trying to say you’re over being the guy in the chair?” Peter smiled, letting him know he was joking.

 

“What? No! Never! I would rather die than give up that chair, man. What is wrong with you?”

 

Peter laughed as he turned towards the stairs. “I think you’re right, though. I’ll give tonight a chance. It may be the last time I see her anyway.”

 

***

 

“I should have worn a tie!” Ned whispered harshly across from him.

 

“You look fine!” Peter reassured him.

 

They were sitting by a small high table near the corner of a small pub Ned had found online. It was quite dark inside, the only light emanating from neon signs by the bar and lamps that were secured on each table.

 

“You’re one to talk. You look like you belong here!”

 

Peter looked down at his clothes. He wore dark jeans with a blue collared shirt and a black cardigan on top. Having Aunt May innovate his closet sometimes came in handy. Not to mention that it was all the perfect size so that his suit fit underneath. “I just threw this on.”

 

“I hate you so much right now,” Ned shook his head.

 

Peter chuckled and raised his glass of beer up to his lips, taking a huge drink and then scrunching his face in disgust. “This would taste so much better if it had an effect on me. It tastes like really bitter water.”

 

“You should get something else then,” Ned advised.

 

“I want to look manly, though. Isn’t beer a manly drink?”

 

“Yes,” Ned replied before taking a huge gulp of his own beer.

 

“Do I look manly?” Peter grinned as he sat up straighter in his chair.

 

“Do you want me to lie to you?” Ned asked.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Then, yes. You look very manly, sir,” Ned stated.

 

“‘Sup, nerds.”

 

MJ came into view as she passed Ned and took the seat next to Peter. Linda was right behind her, waving frantically and sat next to Ned. A bartender noticed their arrival and approached their table.

 

“We’ll take two more beers. We want to feel manly, too,” MJ ordered as Ned and Linda both burst into fits of laughter.

 

Even Peter let out a few laughs while rolling his eyes. “Heard that, huh?”

 

“Mhmm,” MJ grinned.

 

She had let her hair down and was wearing a black turtleneck. She had on high waisted shorts, despite the weather, with black leggings underneath. She looked pretty and Peter wanted to tell her but wasn’t sure if it was safe enough to do so yet.

 

The bartender came back with their drinks and Ned and Peter ordered their second round.

 

“So what are we celebrating?” Linda asked. Everyone looked around at one another and when no one offered an answer, Linda continued. “Well, _I_ want to celebrate my new job as Michelle’s assistant!”

 

“Hear, hear!” Ned raised his glass, followed by Peter and Linda. MJ stared at them for a second before she rolled her eyes, smiled, and raised her own. They pushed their glasses to the center until they all clinked together and then took a drink.

 

“God, that’s disgusting!” MJ groaned, staring at her glass like she wanted to break it.

 

“Have you never had beer before?” Linda asked.

 

“No! Why would I consume something that makes people even _more_ stupid? And why do I want to take another drink?”

 

“Ah, the power of alcohol,” Ned said as he tipped his glass into his mouth.

 

They continued to drink as Linda told them all about growing up in south Oregon and how she decided New York was the perfect change she needed. Throughout the conversation, Peter was sharply aware of the proximity between him and MJ. Everytime she moved around in her seat, her leg would brush up against his and the simple contact sent shockwaves all throughout his body. He swallowed hard and kept taking constant drinks from his glass to sort of quench the thirst he suddenly had.

 

He glanced over at MJ and noticed the small smirk on her lips as she listened to whatever Linda was saying.

 

_She was doing it on purpose._

 

Peter was never good at flirting but if that’s what MJ was doing right now, then two can play that game.

 

He scooted a bit more to his right without anyone seeing, except for MJ, whose eyes went so wide, Peter had to stop himself from laughing out loud. He opened his legs a bit more wider until his leg was practically pressed up against hers.

 

“What are you doing?” MJ whispered.

 

“Drinking. Talking. Having a good time. What are _you_ doing?” Peter smiled innocently.

 

She narrowed her eyes. “Your leg is basically on top of mine.”

 

“No, it’s not!” Peter denied. “It’s just against it.”

 

She scoffed as she stared at him. “Then _move_ it.”

 

“ _You_ move it,” Peter reiterated.

 

“What are we, five?” she laughed softly.

 

Peter just smiled, not saying anything.

 

“There’s a thing called _personal space_ ,” she glared at him but the hint of a smile on her lips told Peter that deep down, she was enjoying this.

 

“You weren’t aware of my personal space when you kept rubbing yourself on me a few minutes ago,” Peter replied.

 

“Gross! Like I would ever want to rub myself on you,” she rolled her eyes.

 

“Okay, then if you don’t like it, you can move your leg,” Peter smirked, challenging her.

 

Her mouth opened up a bit in shock. Even Peter was surprised at how well he was handling the situation. Then she smiled. Which turned into a smirk before she replied with a simple, “No.”

 

“No?” Now Peter was the one in shock.

 

She shook her head. “I’m not giving you the satisfaction of invading my personal space.”

 

“Fine,” Peter replied.

 

“Fine,” MJ stated. “You know that could have counted as borderline harassment?”

 

“Oh, shit,” Peter muttered and immediately pulled his leg away from hers. “I’m- I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean- I was only…”

 

“Relax, Parker,” she chuckled and then Peter’s heart stopped when he felt her hand on his thigh, bringing his leg against hers again. “I know what you were trying to do.”

 

Peter let out a small sigh of relief and then shook his head. She was always one step ahead of him. He took a final drink from his glass but it wasn’t enough to tame the insane heat coming from their legs pressed together.

 

He was attracted to MJ, there was no doubt about it but it was starting to feel like something more. Like a strong _pull_ anytime he was near her and he wasn’t sure anymore if he would be able to just say goodbye tonight and not see her again.

 

“You know MJ had a crush on you all throughout high school, right?” Ned’s voice brought Peter back to reality.

 

“What?” Peter asked.

 

“Ned! That’s not something you just _say_!” Linda chastised him.

 

“It’s cool, Linda,” MJ laughed softly. “But yeah, I did.” She looked over at Peter and shrugged.

 

“‘ _Did_ ’? As in past tense?” Peter raised an eyebrow. She didn’t reply but instead shrugged again and looked down at her half empty glass.

 

“See, now _that_ makes sense because I always felt like you were investigating me. I don’t know why I never thought it as you just having a crush,” Peter chuckled.

 

“Oh no, I _was_ investigating you. I had this fucking crazy idea that you were Spider-Man,” MJ said.

 

There was a huge snort followed by a cry and Peter turned to find Ned clutching his nose, beer dripping everywhere. “I inhaled my beer,” he moaned out as an explanation.

 

“Shit, Ned. Are you okay?” MJ asked as Peter and Linda grabbed the small napkins at the end of the table.

 

“I’m fine,” Ned wheezed, taking the napkins and cleaning himself off.

 

MJ and Linda laughed but Peter just smiled. He felt the suit underneath his clothes constrict, making it hard to breathe. He should have known MJ would’ve figured it out. She’s insanely smart with a knack of piecing things things together. If they were to see each other constantly, her crazy idea might not seem so crazy after all.

 

“I think we should call it a night huh, bud?” Peter suggested as he pulled out his wallet.

 

“Yeah, I don’t think I like beer that much anymore,” Ned chuckled as he stood.

 

“Plus, it’s getting late and we have work,” MJ added.

 

They all paid their tabs and walked out together into the crisp night. Ned stood by the edge of the curb, trying to hail a cab while Peter was trying to find a way to talk to MJ alone.

 

“Hey, MJ?” Peter placed his hand on her arm. He winced as he realized how hard this was going to be. Here was this beautiful, intelligent, successful girl, who has always been a mystery to him, and he had to say no to the possibility of anything ever happening between them. But it was for those very same reasons that he could not risk her getting involved in his dangerous world.

 

“Hey, guys? Peter’s gonna walk me home. I’ll see you tomorrow, Linda?” MJ told them.

 

“Sure! Is it okay if we share a cab?” Linda asked Ned. He agreed and then shared a mischievous look with Peter, who rolled his eyes.

 

“Bye, Ned,” Peter and MJ waved as they both entered the cab.

 

“My place is this way,” MJ pointed behind her and they began their walk towards her apartment. “You’re not very good at this, are you?” MJ asked him after a few minutes of silence.

 

“Good at what?” Peter asked.

 

“Yeah, me neither,” she laughed softly.

 

They both didn’t utter a word as they continued to walk. A couple passed them, arms linked together with their heads leaned towards each other and Peter raised his hand to rub the back of his neck. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but he did feel the strain of what he was about to do weigh in on his shoulders.

 

“MJ, I-”

 

“Look, Peter-”

 

They both laughed and stopped to stand by a closed building. “Go ahead,” Peter told her.

 

She groaned but faced him as she spoke. “This is something that is hard for me to say. Out loud. I don’t ‘date’. I don’t know how it all works. But I am… Okay, I’m just going to say it. I’m attracted to you! And I guess I always have been but then I went away and now I see you again after so many years and… Ugh! I hate this. This is why I never confess shit.”

 

Peter laughed this time which earned him a punch on his shoulder. It didn’t hurt him one bit but he had to feign it did. “Ow! What was that for?”

 

“You’re enjoying this too much!” She exclaimed.

 

Peter raised his hands up in surrender. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m attracted to you too.”

 

“Yeah I know, dumbass. Your leg trying to get on my lap kind of gave that away,” she crossed her arms.

 

“I guess it did. But listen, MJ,” Peter looked down at his shoes. “You don’t want to get involved with me.”

 

She scrunched up her face in disgust. “Which cheesy ass romance movie did you get _that_ from?”

 

“MJ, I’m serious! My life is so complicated right now and-”

 

“So is mine! You think it was easy for me to see you in that coffee shop and have all those old feelings resurface?? But maybe we can help each other out or we can take it slow…” she suggested.

 

Peter chuckled. “Trust me. Just by having your leg near mine, there is no way I could take it slow.”

 

He realized too late what he had just said. He shut his eyes and shook his head, scared to see her reaction. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

 

“I’m glad you did,” he heard her mutter.

 

He opened his eyes immediately to find her smirking at him. She shrugged, “We’re both attracted to each other, right? Both of our lives are too complicated to add a relationship to the equation so let’s keep it simple.”

 

“Uh, what is happening right now?” Peter furrowed his eyebrows.

 

He felt a few drops of rain fall on his face. Everyone around them immediately called for a cab. MJ turned to raise her hand just when the rain came pouring down hard. When Peter saw that no cars were going to stop for them, he turned and cursed when none of the buildings by them were open.

 

“Come on!” He yelled over at her and she reached for his hand as they began to run down the street, looking for cover.

 

The rain had drenched them completely so that Peter’s hair pressed down on his forehead. They passed an alley and Peter noticed a small arched entrance that led to a gated door. “Over here!” He shouted over the deafening sound of the rain and pulled her with him.

 

They reached the entrance and stepped in. They were both panting hard and when they were finally able to catch their breath, they looked at one another and began to laugh. MJ raised her hands and gathered her wet hair, bundling it all on top of her head and securing it with an elastic band.

 

Peter leaned back against the wall and stared at her, wondering how it was that even after running through rain, she still seemed as beautiful as ever.

 

She was still laughing and smiling when she began to speak to him but then time slowed down. The rain and her laughter became muffled, almost muted and Peter’s senses heightened as his hearing expanded a few feet from where they hid.

 

_Splashing steps. Rugged breathing. The click of a gun._

 

Everything resumed back to normal and Peter lunged from the wall towards MJ. He pressed himself against her and covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes were wide with fear but her hands clutched his sweater.

 

“Shh. Trust me,” he whispered to her and he felt her whole body relax.

 

Their faces were merely inches from each other and he could feel her breathing wash over his hand as they waited. He stared into her eyes which slowly looked past him. Peter turned and watched as someone tall, dressed in black walked by. The rain had lessened a bit and the vague light coming from the streetlamp illuminated the small handgun he was holding. He continued on, unaware of their presence and Peter gave it a few minutes before he turned back to face MJ.

 

She was gazing hard at him as he lowered his hand from her mouth. He intently let his fingers touch her bottom lip before he dropped his hand completely. He hadn’t moved; his body was still very much pressed against hers. Their breathing were slow and steady, mixing in the air between them. His eyes roamed her face, noticing the small freckles along her nose that he had never seen before. Her eyes were glued to his lips, which only compelled him to lick them slightly.

 

They both acted at the same time, pressing their lips forcefully together while her arms wrapped around his neck to pull him closer. His hands were gripping her waist as his mouth moved against hers, perfectly in sync.

 

He was feeling lightheaded but he didn’t care. He wanted more of her, _needed_ more of her and so he continued to kiss her like he had never kissed anyone before and that was the thing that shook him the most. He had always been gentle because he thought that’s what girls liked but with MJ… everything was so _different_. She was driving him insane.

 

His phone rang at the most inappropriate time, interrupting their kiss. If it was any other ring, he would have ignored it but this specific ring made him pull away from her lips. He sighed as he rested his forehead against hers and took out his phone from his pocket.

 

_Two shots fired near 56th. Possible homicide. Tall male dressed in black is on the run._

 

“What is it?” MJ asked, breathlessly.

 

“Um,” Peter grimaced as he put his phone away, “It’s Aunt May.”

 

“Is she okay?”

 

Peter glanced up to see her face. She looked genuinely concerned and he hated himself for having to hide something like this from her. “Uh, yeah, yeah. She heard something outside her place. It’s probably nothing but I, uh, I should still go and take a look.”

 

“No, yeah. Of course,” MJ nodded.

 

Peter then stepped back and his body immediately craved to be with hers. “Come on, I’ll get you a cab.”

 

He took her hand in his and they stepped out of their hiding place and onto the streetwalk. The rain had completely ceased and as soon as Peter whistled and waved, a cab pulled up by their feet.

 

Peter opened the door for MJ but before she stepped inside, she turned to face him. “Let’s talk soon?”

 

Peter should say no. Make up any excuse as to why he can’t be with her.

 

“Sure,” Peter smiled. “I’m sorry, MJ. Really.”

 

She waved him off. “It’s Aunt May. I would go running off, too.” She leaned in closer to him and kissed him softly. Then she turned and got into the cab, shutting the door herself.

 

Peter watched as the car drove away and was completely out of view before he returned back into the alley. He began to undress, throwing the clothes into the nearest dumpster. They were ruined anyway.

 

He hid in the shadows in his spidey suit and pressed his chest. His head was covered in seconds and then his vision returned as his mask turned on and Karen’s voice sounded in his ears.

 

“Hello, Peter,” she said.

 

“Hey, Karen. Let’s catch this guy.”


	5. The Agreement - MJ

It was a bad idea.

 

MJ wasn’t sure why she even came up with something so insane. Let alone, blurt it out to  _ him _ .

 

But the way he had kissed her last night… She had never expected to ever be kissed like that.  _ Ever.  _ Much less from someone like Peter.

 

He had made her feel wanted, craved. It was a feeling she had never felt before and it had left her disoriented.

 

They both had admitted they were attracted to each other and even said that adding a relationship into their lives wouldn’t be easy. But the way he had been looking at her, and the whole thing about their legs at the bar, had convinced her that she wanted to keep seeing him. That it was fun being around him. That she actually liked feeling so carefree when she was near him.

 

She groaned to herself as she thought of how to make all of this right. Maybe she should meet up with him and tell him she was a bit tipsy that night, make an excuse out of it. Or she could just pretend none of it even happened.

 

She bit her lip, completely lost in thought.

 

Her office phone rang and she blinked several times before answering, “This is Michelle.”

 

“You’re staring at nothing again,” Linda’s voice carried through the phone.

 

MJ looked up to find Linda giving her a lopsided smile. MJ sighed, hung up, and stood to serve herself another cup of coffee.

 

Then her phone rang.  _ Again _ .

 

“Yes, Linda?” MJ asked.

 

“That’s your fourth cup of coffee and it’s only ten in the morning,” she continued.

 

MJ groaned, gripping the phone tightly. “Meeting.  _ Now _ .”

 

She watched as Linda hurriedly put the phone down, grabbed the nearest notepad and rushed into MJ’s office, shutting the door behind her.

 

“Where are we with that interview I wanted with the new marketing team?”

 

“Oh, um, yes,” Linda stuttered, “I made several phone calls and apparently all the representatives were busy. At the same time.”

 

“I’ll go personally next week,” MJ stated.

 

Linda nodded and wrote it down on her notes. “Morning or afternoon? So I can schedule your meetings accordingly.”

 

“Morning. If someone kissed you in the most, I guess,  _ unforgettable  _ way, would you run from that person?” 

 

“Wait, what?” Linda stared at MJ as if she had just spoken another language.

 

“I guess not, right? But what if it just overcomplicates something that is already  _ too _ complicated?” MJ carried on.

 

“Oh my God, did Peter kiss you?” Linda asked.

 

MJ faced Linda, serious all of a sudden. “That’s inappropriate, Linda.”

 

“No, yes, of course. I’m sorry for even-”

 

“Who even knew he could do that, though? Did you know?” MJ pointed at Linda, who just shook her head, and then pointed at herself, “Because  _ I _ didn’t!”

 

MJ groaned once again and leaned back in her chair. She covered her eyes with her arm but it was no use; every time she closed her eyes, she could feel the pressure of his lips on hers, the way his body had molded so perfectly against hers.

 

She let her arm drop as she opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling. 

 

He had to see him again, maybe then she would make up her mind.

 

“I need you to do me a favor.” She straightened up in her chair and looked over at Linda who was scribbling away on her notepad.

 

“I just asked Ned. Here,” she tore a piece of paper and handed it to MJ. MJ eyed her curiously before looking down at the scrap in her fingers.

 

A phone number. Peter’s phone number.

 

***

 

Cheap beer was her favorite.

 

Cheap beer was the only thing urging her to pick up the phone and call him.

 

“He’ll ask how I got his number and then rub it in my face,” she muttered to herself.

 

She leaned against her kitchen counter and finished the rest of her microwavable pasta. Her phone lay next to her food; blank, unmoving. 

 

It was a bit after seven, he wouldn’t be at school anymore so she couldn’t use that as an excuse as to why she shouldn't pick up the phone.

 

All she had to do was call, ask when he’s free, and if they could meet up to talk. No big deal.

 

MJ chugged the rest of her beer and threw it away, along with her unfinished dinner. She grabbed her phone and flopped herself on her couch. She brought her fingers up to her mouth and began biting her nails, still staring at her blank phone. 

 

“Maybe just a text?” She asked herself out loud.

 

But she was actually longing to hear his voice because the last time she heard it, she had kissed his apology away. She wanted to see if hearing his voice would bring back the feeling of his lips on hers or if last night was all really just the consequences of alcohol.

 

She pulled her legs up underneath her and took in a deep breath. When she let it out, her phone began to vibrate and Peter’s name glowed bright on her screen.

 

“What the fuck!” MJ shouted and dropped her phone on the couch next to her. It kept ringing and she just kept staring at it as if it were going to blow up any second.

 

She leaned forward and noticed that the phone call wasn’t even a phone call; Peter wanted to FaceTime.

 

“Fuck.”

 

She pushed her curls behind her ears and snatched her phone back. Positioning it in front of her, she answered, her heart trying to jump out of her throat at the same time. 

 

“Hey, MJ!”

 

“Ned?” MJ furrowed her eyebrows but then laughed softly when Ned’s whole face zoomed in on the screen. “Always good to see your face. Even at a weird angle. How did Peter get my number?”

 

“Linda told me to give it to him,” he smirked.

 

“Oh. So… he’s had my number this whole time?” MJ asked.

 

“Not really. He doesn't know he has it yet. I  _ just _ put it in there,” he chuckled.

 

MJ rolled her eyes but felt a bit of relief. “Cool! Well, listen, I gotta go anyway-”

 

“Where’s my phone?” Someone from Ned’s end spoke faintly, like they were far away.

 

Ned’s eyes bulged wide as he looked behind him and began to talk incomprehensibly. “Uh, uh, what? What did you say? I couldn’t-”

 

“What are you doing with my phone, Ned? I already have too many pictures of your face and it’s taking up storage.”

 

MJ recognized his voice and even as Ned tried to hide the phone behind his back, MJ couldn’t help the huge ass smile on her face. This moment reminded her of years back when she would sit near them in class and just observe them being total dumbasses.

 

“Who are you talking to-? Ned, give it!”

 

“Don’t get mad!”

 

MJ watched as the camera covered by Ned’s back suddenly spanned and focused on Peter’s face. His hair was wet, probably from the shower he had just taken, but it brought flashbacks to the night before.

 

“MJ?” Peter’s eyes looked past the phone, towards Ned. “Hold on.”

 

“Sure,” MJ replied meekly as she bit her lip and waited. 

 

She had a clear view of his chest as he walked around in what she guessed was his apartment. “Is this your way of seducing me?”

 

She heard him chuckle. “No. Why? Are you feeling seduced?”

 

A small  _ pop _ and a bright light suddenly illuminated his face and she saw a small smirk on his lips. But it was the type of smirk where he didn’t really want to smirk and actually really wanted to just smile instead.

 

“Oh, yeah. I’m so hot for you right now.” MJ didn’t know where this was coming from but seeing him again made her abandon the reason why she was even worried about calling in the first place.

 

She had forgotten that before the whole incident in the alley occured, they were  _ friends _ . And she hoped good enough friends to be able to talk about something so simple as a kiss. 

 

_ A kiss that had kept her up at night. A kiss that had lingered on her lips for hours. A memory. _

 

“That’s nice to know,” his voice brought her back. “Why did Ned call you?”

 

MJ shrugged. “He said he was putting my number in your phone. Maybe he accidentally FaceTimed me.”

 

“Hmm. Guess I’ll have to thank him for that later,” he laughed softly. He ran his fingers through his damp hair and MJ remembered how her own fingers had been doing just that less than 24 hours ago.

 

She cleared her throat. “I haven’t been able to sleep.”

 

“Yeah,” he smiled. “Yeah, me neither, MJ.”

 

Silence.

 

They just looked at one another through their phone screens, neither saying a word. It made MJ think about what would happen if she was there or he was here and they were looking at each other the way the were now.

 

She broke the silence. “I should hate you, you know?”

 

His forehead wrinkled in confusion. “Why?”

 

“I don’t have a good enough reason. But I should. It would make all of this easier. I would say thank you for yesterday and then forget all about it.”

 

“Except you can’t,” he finished for her. 

 

“Except I can’t,” she repeated, whispering.

 

“So..?” He rubbed the bottom of his chin with the back of his hand.

 

“So… let’s talk. Are you free tomorrow morning?”

 

He nodded. “Same coffee place we so conveniently reunited?”

 

MJ laughed softly and agreed. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Parker.”

 

“Wait, MJ?”

 

“Yes?” Her heartbeat picked up its pace once again and she couldn’t understand why.

 

“The kiss. I liked it. A lot more than I expected, actually. And I think I want to do it again.”

 

***

 

The sun was actually out, giving a good sign that the bad rainy weather was over. 

 

MJ welcomed the sunlight as it shone onto her books and tablet, reflecting back at her face. It was a warm feeling she never expected to miss. 

 

She was sitting at the same table they had sat in several days ago. The place was almost empty, except for the small number of people who walked in, got their order and left. MJ was even enjoying the soft music playing through the speakers so much that she hadn’t pulled out her earphones from her bag.

 

“Hey, sorry I’m late.”

 

MJ was so invested in her work, she hadn’t heard the door opening or even his footsteps as he approached her. She looked up and noticed that he seemed a bit breathless. His hair was disheveled but it looked casual, as if he had just run his fingers through it many times.

 

“Were you running?” She asked as she closed her book.

 

“Uh,” Peter sat down across from her, “Something like that.”

 

She narrowed her eyes and made a face. “You’re insane.”

 

He didn’t reply but instead just gazed at her. It made her feel exposed and she was almost going to tell him to cut it out but something held her back. She watched his eyes roam over every inch of her face, moving down to her lips, her jawline, her neck.

 

He wasn’t even trying to be discreet. It threw her off because this wasn’t the Peter she remembered from high school. Shy and oblivious Peter who could barely utter two words in front of his crush.

 

MJ found herself suddenly wondering what had happened in the years they hadn’t seen each other. When the whole worldwide lockdown shit went down, all she knew is that it had a powerful impact on him, especially when he lost one of his mentors. She remembered him shutting everyone out, making up an excuse to not see her and Ned. He came around eventually but no one ever mentioned that time in their lives again.

 

“You’re analyzing me,” he said.

 

“You’re observing me,” she told him.

 

“Yeah, I am. I’ve had years of not doing so, I’m trying to catch up,” he explained.

 

She shook her head while rolling her eyes but grinned nonetheless. “You’re so fucking cheesy and I hate the fact that I  _ don’t _ hate it.”

 

He laughed at this while leaning back in his seat. He began to stretch, causing his shirt to slide up his torso, exposing a bit of flesh underneath. MJ pursed her lips and closed her eyes, willing herself to focus.

 

“What are we going to do about this, MJ?”

 

She opened her eyes to find him watching her intently. 

 

“I want to keep seeing you, even if it is as just friends for now,” he continued. “It’s going to be hard though, I’ll admit, but if that’s what you feel most comfortable with-”

 

MJ was already shaking her head. “What happened that night was…”

 

“Different.” He finished for her. 

 

She nodded before continuing, “We have two options. We either forget it even happened and move on or…”

 

“Or…?” He urged her on. 

 

MJ pushed her hair behind her ears before clasping her hands together tightly in front of her. She looked into Peter’s eyes as she leaned forward. She wanted to see his reaction before she even hears it coming from his mouth.

 

“I have a question first,” she stated.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Are you a virgin?”

 

It was like someone had thrown a tomato at his face. It was so red, it was almost amusing to see. 

 

MJ laughed softly, “Well,  _ are  _ you?”

 

He chuckled and avoided her gaze, messing with a piece of lint that he had found on the table. “If the way I kissed you kept you up at night, what do you think?”

 

MJ was completely  _ speechless. _ He was right, though. Someone without experience couldn’t have done what he did that night.

 

“Bit cocky, are we?” MJ smirked at him, daring him to look up at her.

 

When he did, he wore a knowing smile. It was the smile that MJ had come to recognize as the one where he knew what was going on. It was the smile that ensured MJ that maybe, just maybe, they could go through with this. 

 

“So, what? We mess around here and there and still go on with our lives?” He was leaning towards her now but MJ stayed put, not backing down.

 

“No strings. Just benefits.”

 

“No title,” he continued.

 

“No expectations, either. We’ll make up the rules as we go,” she added.

 

“What about feelings? I think I can speak for the both of us and say that we both feel a little something towards each other, right?”

 

She nodded. “I think that’s what makes this so unique. We know that this attraction between us can be something more but we can put it on pause, for now…”

 

“And see if we can try again later on?”

 

She was enjoying the way he always finished her thoughts. Before, it would have irritated the fuck out of her.

 

He dropped his hand and pulled out his phone. “So should we set a date for when we…?” He looked back at her, raising an eyebrow.

 

“No! That’s just weird! Let’s just say that the next time we hang out and we feel these urges-”

 

He interrupts her, “ _ Urges _ ?”

 

“Shut up, you know what I mean. Then it’ll happen and we’ll be happy and satisfied.”

 

They stared at each other for several long seconds until they both burst into laughter. 

 

“Do you know how  _ insane _ this sounds?” He asked her curiously. 

 

She continued to laugh lightly before answering. “I think that’s what makes this exciting.”

 

He nodded in agreement as he placed his elbows on the table. “We’re really going to do this?”

 

She gazed at him for a few moments, admiring how a sunray hit his face so perfectly, it lightened his brown eyes beautifully. “I want to.”

 

“So do I,” he replied right away.

 

They had been leaning towards each other across the table to the point where their faces were mere inches from each other. MJ could faintly smell  _ his _ scent; fresh linens and warm woods. 

 

The fucking attraction between them was too palpable and even thinking that they could both walk away from something this strong was ridiculous. 

 

He had begun to stare at her again and this time, MJ felt the heat on her face intensify across every inch of her features. 

 

She had to leave. _Now_.

 

But her body betrayed her and kept her glued to her seat.

 

“Should we tell Ned?”

 

MJ looked away from his deep gaze to focus. “We should, yeah. But not right away. Let’s see how this goes first and then let him know.”

 

“I’ve never kept anything from him,” Peter frowned, looking down at the table. “But I guess it makes sense to try this out first.”

 

“He’ll know anyway, no matter what happens. I don’t like lying to him either,” MJ told him, trying to comfort his uneasiness. 

 

He glanced up at her and gave her a small smile before nodding. He took in a deep breath and leaned away, MJ following suit. “I have to go actually, I have class in forty minutes.”

 

“God, I keep forgetting you’re still such a nerd,” MJ teased him as she placed her things into her bag.

 

Peter shrugged, smirking. “This nerd just got the deal of a lifetime, though. You have to admit, that’s impressive.”

 

They both stood and began to walk towards the exit. “I get three fourths of the credit. I was pretty much in control the whole time.”

 

Peter chuckled as he opened the door for her and they stepped out onto the almost deserted sidewalk. They faced each other and Peter pointed behind him, “I’m heading this way. I guess I’ll see you next time… well, next time I see you.”

 

“And I guess we’ll see what happens then,” MJ added.

 

“Can’t wait,” Peter genuinely smiled.

 

“See you, Parker,” MJ replied and turned to walk back in the direction of her office.

 

All of a sudden, there was a grip on her elbow and she was forced to swing back to face him. She didn’t even have time to react before his lips were on hers and he kissed her hard and deep, almost desperate. 

 

MJ reciprocated the kiss, pulling on his shirt as his hands cradled her face. They kissed for seconds but it felt eternal and when they slowed down to catch their breath, their lips remained pressed together, neither of them wanting to separate.

 

Peter was the first to break away and as MJ’s eyes fluttered open, he breathed out, “I get full credit for that one.”

 

And then he was gone, his back facing her as he walked away. MJ stared after him, completely baffled and lightheaded. 

 

They were even in this little game of theirs and now she couldn’t wait to see him again to switch things back in her favor. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys are enjoying reading this as I am writing it! <3
> 
> -N


	6. Thesis - Peter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy you guys are enjoying this story! Trust me, it's only gonna get more crazy from here lol i have so much planned for this story... I've told several of you that as much as this is a petermj fic, i also want to dive into the characters and how their lives are years after hoco and iw.
> 
> There is a moment in this chapter where they talk about what really happened during the war and the snap and all those fun things and since we really don't know what exactly happens after, i'm going with the theory that the avengers did go back in time and changed everything but i don't go deep into that, but it's just something to keep in mind when reading. most of it is just made up and for writing purposes (sorry if i don't make any sense lol)
> 
> Just a heads up, there is a panic attack moment in this chapter and I know that it can be triggering for some people to read about it so i put warning before and after it happens, just look for [TW....]
> 
> THANK YOU SO MUCH for your kudos and your comments. they mean so much and it encourages me to keep going with this story.
> 
> if you have any questions or if you're simply just interested, my twitter is @tomicksn (:

Peter opened the door of the Science and Technology building and welcomed the cool air-conditioned breeze from inside. Although it was nice to finally see the sun out after so many rainy days, it wasn’t so nice having it bear down Peter’s back as he made his twenty-minute walk to the university.

He walked down the narrow hallway until he reached the stairs and began to take two at a time, finally reaching the second floor. He pulled out his phone as he leaned against the wall opposite Ned’s classroom.

 

He tapped on his text messages and opened a new one, typing in MJ’s name. His fingers hovered over the screen as he thought about what to say.

 

_ What could he even say after leaving her like that? _

 

Peter grinned, feeling proud of himself.

 

He hadn’t planned it; it was purely on impulse. He had meant it when he had told her that he wanted to kiss her again. He wasn’t planning on doing it so soon but the way the sun had shined across her face the moment they stepped out of the shop, he couldn’t help himself. 

 

He was even surprised for pulling that off so smoothly. He had always struggled with anything that had to do with relationships; he never knew when it was the right moment to have a first kiss, whether to buy flowers or nothing at all. It became too stressful.

 

But with MJ, it was completely different. Although she still intimidated him a bit, he already knew her. He knew what ticked her off or annoyed her. He knew what made her smile and genuinely laugh. He wasn’t going in blind, thinking of ways to impress her. That’s why the whole arrangement they just agreed on was perfect. There wasn’t this constant pressure on how to make  _ it _ work, it just did and they’re going to enjoy it while it does.

 

“What are you so smiley about?”

 

Peter looked up from his phone to find Ned staring at him. Students filed out of the classroom, talking to one another and some even looking over where Ned and Peter stood.

 

“What?” Peter asked, dazed, as he turned off his phone and slid it back into his pocket.

 

“You’re smiling really weird. It’s sort of… creeping me out,” Ned narrowed his eyes.

 

Peter tried to compose himself and stood up straight. “It’s the sun. Such a nice day out, you know?”

 

Ned stared at him for a few more seconds before he shook his head. “Again,  _ weird _ .”

 

Peter chuckled and turned to head back down the hallway when someone behind them called out their names, stopping them in their tracks. 

 

“Leeds! Parker!”

 

Ned and Peter turned in unison and see their physics professor standing by his office door, signaling them to come closer. Peter and Ned took one quick glance at each other before walking towards Dr. Ferguson.

 

“Yes, Mr. Ferguson, sir? Got any more papers for us to grade?” Ned asked, smiling unenthusiastically. 

 

“No, not today. I actually have a proposal for the both of you. Something that might appeal to you,” Dr. Ferguson replied.

 

He looked excited yet contained, like he wanted to yell out this big secret but enjoyed the angst of the moment. 

 

“Cool,” Peter said, “We can come back after class-?”

 

“No, no, no. I have to show you now as they’re needing an answer as soon as possible. I’ll talk to Heinz and have you excused for today.” He walked back into his office, waving them inside before closing the door behind them.

 

Peter liked Dr. Ferguson. He was a brilliant scientist who took Peter and Ned in as his personal assistants. He had a pretty laid back personality, nothing too eccentric which is why Peter found it curious to see him in such a wired state.

 

“I think I may have found a project that can work as your thesis for this year,” he continued as he walked around his office desk and powered on his computer.

 

Peter and Ned took seats in the armchairs in front of his desk. “That’s great! Does it have to do with the Quantum Sensing I was talking to you about last week?” Ned asked, suddenly at the edge of his seat.

 

Even Peter leaned forward, “What about an extended research on the Laser-Plasma Accelerator? They have a whole study about it in Oxford and I think it’d be pretty awesome to get some tech over here-”

 

“Oh my god, that would be the coolest thing!” Ned whispered excitedly while tapping Peter’s arm.

 

Dr. Ferguson just shook his head, typing away on his laptop, completely unaware of their eagerness. “ _ This, _ ” he turned the laptop so that it faced Peter and Ned, “is your new thesis!”

 

Peter and Ned leaned forward together to take a closer look at the screen. 

 

“What is  _ that _ ?” Peter asked.

 

“Looks like Flubber joined the dark side,” Ned commented, tilting his head to the right and furrowing his eyebrows.

 

“ _ That _ is an unknown form of alien specimen being studied in San Francisco,” Ferguson told them. “At least, it  _ was _ being studied. Now they want our department to continue their studies and I want you guys in on it. They’ll be sending their data soon but we’re still working on some technicalities on actually bringing the species to our lab.”

 

Peter watched the screen as the black blob bounced around in the clear canister. It seemed to vibrate, like as if it was angry. It had no face, no signs of any limbs or any form of human resemblance.

 

“You’ve dealt with alien nature many years ago, right, Peter?”

 

Peter lifted his eyes to meet Ferguson’s.

 

“What- I mean, why? Why?” Peter stuttered.

 

“Well, when you were stuck at the Avengers’ headquarters! When you worked for Tony Stark? That big storm that locked down the whole city? Didn’t you mention something about working with something alien while you were there?”

 

“Oh. Right,” Peter breathed out a sigh of relief. Whenever the war happened with Thanos, Peter had come up with a story about how he was stuck with Tony the whole time. It helped that the rest of the universe that had vanished or survived from the snap only remembered being locked indoors while harsh weather conditions took over every corner of the world. The only ones who had any recollection of what truly happened, were Peter and the Avengers themselves. 

 

“I think your experience will help a lot,” Dr. Ferguson continued and took back his laptop. “So what do you guys say? You in?”

 

Ned glanced at Peter, silently looking for an agreement. Peter was unsure about how related this project could be to what happened years ago but he couldn’t deny that he was intrigued by what he had just seen on the screen.

 

“Of course we’re in,” Peter nodded.

 

This earned a clap from Ned and a huge smile from Dr. Ferguson.

 

“Excellent! I’ll let the people in charge know and I’ll inform you once I have more news. Guess you two can have the rest of the day off,” he dismissed them with a grin.

 

Peter and Ned grabbed their backpacks and walked out of his office. Outside, they fist bumped each other as they made their way out of the building.

 

“Pizza?” Ned asked.

 

“Sounds good to me,” Peter replied and his stomach growled in approval.

 

They walked to their usual pizza joint close to campus. It was set up as half restaurant and half bar. A few students sat in tables with their laptops and notebooks while a few locals sat in the bar, taking advantage of the happy hour.

 

They sat down at a vacant table and Ned immediately grabbed the stationed tablet set up on the table for them to order. “So a deep dish pepperoni for me and a medium spinach and mushrooms with extra cheese for you?”

 

Peter nodded, his mouth watering from just hearing Ned describe his favorite pizza. He put in the order and while they waited, Peter pulled out his phone and saw a new message from MJ.

 

 

  * __Hey, loser.__



 

 

“You’re smiling that smile again. Don’t get me wrong, you look great when you smile but it’s been a really long time since I’ve seen you smile  _ that _ smile. What  _ really _ happened the night you took MJ home?”

 

It always amazed Peter how perceptive Ned could really be. Keeping the whole thing with MJ from him was going to be extremely difficult. 

 

“It’s what I told you,” Peter shrugged. “We’ve been talking ever since  _ you _ facetimed her. Thanks for that by the way. But it’s just casual catching up stuff. We both admitted it’s not the right time for a relationship anyway and I’m okay with that.”

 

“Hmm,” Ned looked unconvinced. “Well I hope the right time comes soon. It’s good to see you this laid back, Peter.”

 

“Thanks, Ned,” Peter grinned but still felt that pang of guilt in his chest for having to lie to his best friend.

 

Their order came and they started digging in; Peter grabbing some slices from Ned’s pizza and vice versa. 

 

“The Laser-Plasma Accelerator was such a good idea but I’m actually excited to study this Darth Flubber,” Ned said with his mouth full. “Do you really think it’s related to what happened, you know, back then?”

 

Peter wiped his mouth. “I’ve been wondering the same thing and I honestly don’t know. I didn’t see anything like it when I was up there.”

 

The televisions hanging all around the restaurant were suddenly turned up as Tony Stark’s face appeared on the screen. 

 

“...Potts has announced the start of the new statue being set up in Central Park in memory of Tony Stark,  Captain Steve Rogers and the rest of the fallen heroes who perished during an unknown and very classified mission…”

 

**[TW starts]**

Peter gripped the edge of the table as his throat constricted and he found it hard to breathe. The noise around him subsided, replaced by a painful ringing inside his head. He felt his own heart pound rapidly against his ribcage even though he sat perfectly still. His vision became blurry and so he bolted out of his seat, found the exit, and gasped for air as soon as he opened the door.

 

He leaned forward, placing his hands on his knees, as he panted, trying to catch his breath. He felt beads of sweat travel down his temples and he wiped them away. 

 

“Peter? Are you okay?”

 

Peter squeezed his eyes shut and forced his body to calm down but it was no use. 

 

“I’m-I’m fine, Ned. I just gotta… I gotta-” he began to walk away.

 

“I’ll see you back at your place?” Ned asked, concern etched in his voice.

 

Peter just nodded and turned away, needing to get to the nearest building. He cut into a corner, made sure it was deserted, and started to climb up as fast as his legs and arms could go.

 

Once he reached the top, he collapsed on the floor. He laid back, shut his eyes and took in a huge breath, held it for a split second, and then released it. He opened his eyes and tried to focus on the clouds; its shapes, how many there were. 

**[TW ends]**

 

The pounding in his ears faded away and the normal New York commotion came back, helping him recover his senses. He made himself sit up which felt like it required so much effort and that was saying a lot, especially for him.

 

He ran his hands up and down his face and then through his hair out of frustration and exhaustion. It had been months since his last panic attack and he couldn’t explain why or what had triggered it. 

 

He thought he had it under control. He had forgotten how unnerving and helpless it made him feel after. His heightened senses didn’t help either, it made it all feel a hundred times worse.

 

Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his pocket so he pulled it out and answered without even looking to see who it was. 

 

“Hello?” His voice came out raspy and breathless.

 

“Peter? Are you okay? Ned called and said you had a panic attack.”

 

Aunt May’s voice felt like a warm blanket had just covered him from head to toe. His tense muscles instantly relaxed.

 

Peter cleared his throat. “Hey, May. No, yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry. It’s passed.”

 

“It’s been a long time since you had one. What happened?”

 

Peter looked around him before sighing. “I saw the news about Ms. Potts announcing the memorial. But I don’t know, I don’t feel like that’s what caused it.”

 

“I read that it can sometimes happen out of nowhere. Are you sure you’re okay? Are you still going out and being a spider?”

 

This made Peter laugh. “I don’t turn into a spider, May. I just have the abilities of one but yeah, I still am. I told you this is a lifetime thing.”

 

“Yeah, well, I still worry. I miss you, Peter. Come visit soon, please?” Peter could picture her adjusting her glasses as she said this.

 

“Soon. I promise. I got this new project at school but once I get started on it, I’ll head over to tell you all about it. Deal?” Peter stood and shook the dirt off his pants.

 

“I swear not to fall asleep,” she laughed softly. “Be careful, Peter. Love you.”

 

“Love you, too, May,” Peter replied before hanging up.

 

He had several text messages from Ned and even another one from MJ. He smiled to himself as he realized once again how lucky he was to have people around him to keep his feet on the ground. 


	7. New Rules - MJ

“You wanna do _what?!_ ”

 

MJ rolled her eyes before taking a deep breath. “There’s something sketchy going on in that building and I want to uncover it.”

 

“What are you, a detective? Where are all the facts?” John J. Jameson barked at MJ.

 

“That’s what I’m trying to get by interviewing them. They won’t allow me to set up a meeting which is a clear sign they’re hiding something!”

 

They sat in Jameson’s office which reeked of old cigars. Cluttered newspapers stood on his desk and all around his floor, making MJ feel just a tiny bit claustrophobic.  

 

“This is a high ranking marketing team with an affiliation with almost every business in this goddamn city and you want to take them down based on a _hunch_?” He narrowed his beady eyes.

 

MJ leaned back in her seat, grinned, and nodded. “I trust my instincts. Imagine being the one in charge of the news that releases the biggest headline in years!”

 

Jameson’s thick, square mustache twitched but then he shook his head, slamming his hand down on his desk. “No! I can’t have another lawsuit in my hands!”

 

“Either way, I’m taking a visit sometime next week so I’m not really asking for permission, just letting you know what I’m up to. This is _real_ journalism, Jonah. I’m just doing my job,” MJ grinned innocently up at him.

 

Jameson growled and pointed a long finger at MJ. “If you weren’t so good at your job, I would have had you fired already. Don’t cross any fucking lines, Jones. You better be right.”

 

“Oh, Jonah,” MJ stood and straightened her shirt. “I always am.”

 

Just then, the door to his office opened and in walked none other than Peter Fucking Parker. MJ was a bit shocked at first but then she remembered that he also did some work for the _Bugle_.

 

Peter glanced at MJ briefly before turning to look at Jameson but did a double take to look back at MJ. He pressed his lips together in a smile and lifted his eyebrows, greeting her. It was the first time she’s seen him since the last time they’d talked.

 

“What are you doing in here?” Jameson grumbled.

 

“Uh,” Peter finally peeled his eyes away from MJ and pointed behind his back, “Claire said I could come in-”

 

“I sent a notice to your tablet!” Claire, Jameson’s assistant, yelled through the wall.

 

“My what?!” Jameson shouted back while he looked through the mess that was all over his desk.

 

“ _Anyway_ ,” Peter continued, “Got some shots of the fundraiser from last night-”

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Jameson mumbled as he snatched the yellow envelope Peter was handing him. “Where’s the good stuff?”

 

Peter took a quick glance towards MJ before looking away, but smiling nonetheless. MJ fought the urge to roll her eyes. It was like she was in some cringe high school moment.

 

Jameson pulled out a stack of photographs and flipped through them until he found what he was looking for. “There he is! That creepy little wallcrawler!”

 

That caught MJ’s attention. She walked around Jameson’s desk, almost tripping with she didn’t know what, and looked over his shoulder at the photographs.

 

The picture was dark but the light coming from a lamp post created a sort of halo around a figure that seemed to be flying through the air. It was almost mystical yet beautiful and it made MJ want to blow it up and put it on her wall.

 

“Wow. This is so-”

 

“Dark!” Jameson interrupted MJ’s compliment.

 

“Well it was nighttime, so…” Peter shrugged and MJ laughed softly.

 

Jameson narrowed his eyes at Peter, his mustache shaking from rage as if it had a life of its own. “Fine! Whatever! I’ll have Claire pick some out for the next issue but I swear, Parker, if you weren’t so good at your job-”

 

“You’d have him fired? Wonder where I heard _that_ before,” MJ snickered as she walked back to the front of his desk.

 

Jameson turned to look at MJ in surprise, completely forgetting that she was still there. He glared at her and then at Peter before shouting, “Both of you! _Out!_ ”

 

Peter stepped back and let MJ walk out first and then said, “Same time tomorrow, JJ?”

 

“You son of a-!”

 

Peter closed the door, cutting him off.

 

MJ laughed and looked back at Peter, shaking her head. “JJ?”

 

“He hates being called that,” Peter shrugged.

 

“Noted,” MJ tapped her temple.

 

They gazed at each other for a few seconds and MJ couldn’t deny that it felt good to see him again.

 

His eyes were doing that thing again where they roamed and inspected every inch of her face. It was like he was trying to memorize her features every time he saw her and damn it, if she didn’t do the same with him.

 

She had to remind herself that they were still standing outside both of their boss’s office and the way they were staring at each other wasn’t really appropriate, so she cleared her throat and took a step back.

 

“Do you, um, want coffee?” MJ offered.

 

“No,” Peter chuckled, “But I’ll join you anyway.”

 

MJ rolled her eyes and turned to lead the way back into her office.

 

“Hi, Peter!” Linda squealed once she saw Peter walking behind MJ.

 

“Hey, Linda,” Peter greeted her back.

 

MJ opened the door to her office and let Peter walk in first and stayed behind to talk to Linda. “We’ll be in my office. If there’s any calls…”

 

“Got it!” Linda winked, grinning like a lunatic.

 

MJ widened her eyes in warning, mouthing the word, ‘stop’ before she walked into her office and shut the door.

 

She usually kept her blinds up to have a clear view of what was going on outside her office but the janitorial team had put them down the night before and MJ was too lazy to put them back up. She was grateful for them, though, since it gave her a bit of privacy.

 

Not that she needed it anyway. Not while Peter was here.

 

Peter was standing by her desk, reading some of her notes that she had thrown aside. MJ walked past him, straight to her coffee area and poured herself a cup.

 

“So should I just slide everything off your desk and push you on it?”

 

MJ nearly choked on her drink. Laughing, she turned to look incredulously at Peter, who had a huge grin on his face. “ _What?!_ ”

 

“What?” He chuckled and pointed at her desk. “Isn’t that supposed to be sexy? Don’t girls like that sort of thing?”

 

“Why would I like you throwing my shit on the ground?” She was still laughing.

 

Peter shrugged, “I was just trying to set the mood.”

 

MJ shook her head and approached him. “There’s no mood to be set. We’re _friends_ . We don’t always have to do _something_ every time we see each other.”

 

“But I want to,” he smirked.

 

MJ couldn’t help the grin that appeared on her lips but she narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re an idiot. We can’t do anything _here._ ”

 

MJ lifted her chin to point behind him. He turned and saw that even with the blinds down, people still had a clear view inside her office.

 

“Plus, we both work here,” she continued. “If we were to get caught…”

 

“Yeah, that makes sense. At least I tried, right?” He walked towards the seats that were placed in front of her desk and sat down. “Old Peter would have never dared to say anything like that.”

 

MJ adjusted herself so that she half leaned-half sat against her desk, facing him. She took a small drink from her coffee and took the time to really watch him. He was relaxed in his seat, with his hands laying on the armrests, looking up at her expectangly. It was like he was inviting her so that she could easily push herself off her desk and sit on his lap if she wanted to and with that sneaky smirk he was giving her, it almost seemed like that’s _exactly_ what he was trying to do.

 

_Where the hell did this come from?_

 

Never in a thousand years did she think she would be even _slightly_ seduced by Peter Parker.

 

“About that,” she licked her lips as she set her cup down next to her, “What happened in all these years that made Old Peter into…” she waved her hands in front of her.

 

His smirk slowly faded away and MJ instantly regretted saying anything.

 

“Not that I’m complaining,” she added quickly. “I’m just curious.”

 

He looked away from her and rubbed his bottom lip before he replied. “I started dating after… everything. Just to help cope, I guess. Learned a few things here and there.”

 

She could tell he was being vague and the lack of eye contact ensured her he was either keeping something from her or lying.

 

“I don’t know,” he shrugged as he looked up at her, “I guess it’s the whole _carpe diem_ sort of thing.”

 

“Seizing the moment,” MJ added.

 

She knew Peter had gone through some traumatic loss over the span of his whole life; losing both of his parents, his uncle, and even his mentor. She still didn’t know what exactly happened during that time so many years ago, she just knew Peter wasn’t quite the same after.

 

She decided not to question him further, given how he had reacted just a few minutes ago.

 

“But you also bring it out from me. I don’t know why or how but you make me say and do things I usually don’t do.” He leaned forward, laying his elbows on his knees, and planting his chin on top of his joined hands. He was gazing up at her through his small lashes and that mixed look of innocence and seduction almost made her dizzy. “I think it’s time to establish some rules,” he muttered.

 

“Like what?”

 

“First, we can’t do anything _here_ ,” he smiled and she felt the gray ambience around them disappear. “Second, let’s not ask about our past.”

 

As a journalist, that’s sometimes what MJ depended on to be able to know how to deal with the present. But Peter wasn’t a subject for one of her articles and she shouldn’t treat him as such. If his past is off-limits, she had to learn to respect that.

 

“Deal,” she agreed.

 

“We’re having a good time, right? I mean despite the fact that we haven’t really _done_ anything,” he chuckled.

 

She rolled her eyes but nodded. “Patience is a virtue, Parker. Just imagine how great it’ll be once it happens.”

 

“That confident, huh?” He leaned back in his seat.

 

She crossed her arms across her chest and raised her eyebrows. “You may have the skill of spontaneity by kissing me in the most random times but you have yet to experience _my_ skills.”

 

His eyes went so wide, MJ worried he might be having a stroke. He then grinned and shook his head, looking away from her. He seemed almost bashful, completely taken off guard.

 

 _Good_ , thought MJ. _Game’s getting even._

 

“These _skills,_ ” he suddenly stood in front of her, making her stand straight, “What exactly are they?”

 

He had moved so swiftly and fast, she barely had time to collect her breath. He was so close that she could easily raise her hand and touch his chest but far enough so that if anyone looked inside her office, it’d look like two people having a casual conversation.

 

“You’ll find out,” she smirked. “Or not,” she shrugged, “who knows?”

 

Peter chuckled and nodded as he took a step back from her. She immediately missed his proximity. “Fine. I won’t push any further,”  he raised his hands up in defeat. “Guess I should let you get back to work.”

 

She wanted to protest since work was the last thing on her mind but she knew that wasn’t a good idea.

 

“Unless you don’t want me to...?” Peter raised an eyebrow.

 

MJ rolled her eyes. “I _do_ need to get to work. You’ve taken too much of my time already,” she grinned to let him know she was joking. _Mostly_.

 

She walked around her desk and sat in her chair. She watched as he adjusted his coat all the while looking right back at her.

 

“Me and Ned are having a movie marathon this weekend. You should come,” he offered as he made his way to the door. “I don’t know. We could have sort of like a, um, sleepover?”

 

“With Ned?” MJ laughed softly.

 

“He rarely stays over,” Peter shrugged.

 

It’s a risk since they’ll be around Ned but at the same time, she missed Nerd #2 so it wouldn’t hurt to drop by. Didn’t necessarily mean she’d stay the night, though.

 

“I’ll think about it,” MJ replied.

 

“So that’s a yes?” Peter grinned.

 

“ _I said_ ,” MJ emphasized, “I’ll think about it!”

 

“Great!” He opened the door and waved, “I’ll text you the details later!”

 

MJ restrained herself from rolling her eyes for what seemed like the upteenth time and waved back, watching as he walked out and closed the door behind him.

 

She leaned back in her seat once he was out of view and turned to face her windows that overlooked the city.

 

He hadn’t kissed her this time. It wasn’t like she had expected it or anything but she knew it had to do with her questioning him about his past.

 

She had crossed a line.

 

Which only made her even more curious about it.


	8. Movie Night - Peter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh!! Finally! This was such a fun chapter to write and one of my favorites! I hope you guys enjoy it <3  
> \- N xx

The rain had come back harder than ever as if it was upset that the sun had kept it away for so long. 

 

“Shit,” Peter muttered as he pulled his hoodie up over his head and began running in the direction to his place. He had four bags of groceries - two in each hand - filled with snacks and drinks for the night.

 

He ran around the corner and immediately pulled out his keys to open the main door of the apartment complex. After pushing the door in with his back, he made his way to the stairs and started to climb until he reached the third floor.

 

“Let me in, Ned!” He shouted and the door quickly opened for him.

 

He dashed inside and dropped the bags onto the kitchen island. His hoodie was soaking  when he removed it so that not even his hair was able to avoid getting wet.

 

“Did you run here? Why not swing your way back?” Ned asked as he pulled out a bag of chips from one of the plastic bags.

 

“It’s not so easy having to shoot webs and swing with one arm while holding grocery bags with the other. Not to mention the force of the rain weighing me down,” Peter replied. He removed his shoes and his socks and threw them towards the door. 

 

“I bet I could do it with no problem,” Ned said proudly. He stored the drinks in the fridge but not before grabbing a beer for himself.

 

Peter chuckled. “Yeah, I bet you could. You’re just  _ that _ better than me.”

 

Ned smirked and tilted his beer towards Peter before taking a large swig. “That’s why I love you, man.”

 

Peter rolled his eyes and made his way to the stairs. “I’m gonna hit the shower real quick.”

 

He began to undress, pulling his shirt from behind and over his head. Walking into his small bathroom, he reached for the small string and pulled causing the small lightbulb on the ceiling to illuminate his surroundings just barely. He turned on the water and removed the rest of his clothes before he jumped in.

He showered quickly as he was only trying to remove the cold rain from his body. After a few minutes, he finished and stepped out, drying himself with the same towel he had used earlier in the day. He wrapped it around his waist and went into his bedroom to change into comfortable clothes.

 

His phone rang, announcing an incoming text message and Peter practically ran to his phone to check who it was from. To his disappointment, it was just one of the students he tutored for Ferguson’s class.

 

He had been texting with MJ earlier but she never gave him a definitive answer on whether she was coming tonight or not. He had sent his address anyway, just in case.

 

Besides the fact that this could be the first night they would spend together, Peter was really looking forward to spending more time with her. Just all three of them actually being a normal group of friends hanging out on a normal Saturday night.

 

MJ had this effect on him that made him feel less different than anyone else. She made him forget that he had these insane powers and a huge responsibility on his shoulders. It was a feeling he craved more everyday.

 

He placed his phone down and began to look for clean clothing but stopped when he saw that his fresh laundered basket of clothes was nowhere in sight. He spun around and tried to think of where was the last place he put it.

 

Just then, there were a couple of knocks on the front door and Peter’s heart leapt up to his throat. 

 

“MJ! You actually came!” Ned’s voice carried up to Peter’s room.

 

He could hear her chuckle before she responded, “Yeah. I decided it would be fun to waste my time here with you guys than being on my own.”

 

Peter squeezed his eyes shut and cursed under his breath before he continued to look for  _ any _ type of clothes- dirty, clean, whichever! 

 

“It’s  _ still _ raining outside?” Peter heard Ned ask.

 

“Yeap! I was actually gonna ask Peter if I could borrow a shirt while I throw this in the dryer. Where is he anyway?”

 

“Taking a shower,” Ned replied. “You can take a shirt from his clean pile.”

 

“Cool. Thanks.”

 

Peter picked up a shirt he found on the floor and sniffed it and immediately pulled it away from his face. “Nope, not that one,” he whispered.

 

He continued to look but only found unmatched socks and really stinky shirts.

 

“I’ll take this upstairs to his room,” MJ said and Peter froze. “I can change when he gets out.”

 

“Ned, please,” Peter prayed as he waited for his best friend to save him.

 

“Sure!” 

 

Peter fought the urge to groan loudly and swore to himself he’ll give Ned hell for this later.  He considered turning off the lights but then that would look really creepy if she found him standing in the dark in nothing but a towel.

 

He heard her start coming up the stairs and he went on full panic mode: he dashed to sit on his bed but then shook his head and then he glanced towards his open bathroom door but by the time he made it inside, she would have already seen him. He tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling, thinking about just hiding up there-

 

“Whoa.”

 

Peter gripped the towel around his waist tightly as he turned to face MJ, who was staring at him with a huge smirk and carrying Peter’s laundry in her arms.

 

“I mean I always took you for some wimp with no daring bone in his body but  _ this _ … now  _ this _ is a major balls move,” she laughed. “And with Ned just downstairs?  _ Wow. _ ”

 

Peter could feel his cheeks heat up. He had been bold before when it came to teasing MJ but that was because he felt in control and was almost prepared for it. Right now, he was caught completely off guard. 

 

And naked.

 

“I thought you weren’t coming,” Peter said, trying to change the subject.

 

“I never said that,” she grinned as she placed the basket in her arms down on the ground. She began to dig through his clothes. He watched as she pulled out several items and then walked towards him.

 

His grip on his towel tightened because if he knew MJ, he wouldn’t put it past her to try to yank the towel off him.

 

“Sweatpants, t-shirt, and boxers,” she smirked at him, “and a shirt for me since mine got soaked while I’m on my way here.”

 

She handed him his clothes, still staring up at him, daring him to react. 

 

“Thanks.” He took his clothes and tried to look anywhere but at her.

 

He noticed she wore some very damp jeans with a loose gray shirt that clung onto her body, accentuating her curves after being drenched from the rain. 

 

She snapped her fingers. “Hey! My face is up here.”

 

“You were staring too!” He defended himself. “And I’m the one half-naked.”

 

She crossed her arms, “Yes, you are.”

 

He could feel the heat radiating from her body, enticing him to step closer to her. He wanted to touch her and for her to touch him but a familiar pull in the pit of his stomach reminded him that if he didn’t step away from her soon, the towel wouldn’t be enough to cover what it was already trying to hide. 

 

“Remember that small talk we had about personal space?” Peter mentioned.

 

MJ rolled her eyes. “As if you weren’t enjoying the fact that I’m this close to you.”

 

Peter chuckled and moved around her to make his way to the bathroom.

 

“Wait!”

 

He raised his eyebrow and turned to look at her.

 

“Can I get a sneak peek?” She smirked.

 

“A  _ what _ ?”

 

“I need to see what I’m going to be working with. You know, see if it’s worth it.”

 

He could see her trying really hard not to bust out laughing.

 

“What- No!” He laughed.

 

“Come on! I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” she teased.

 

“As exciting as that sounds,” Peter whispered, “let’s leave that for later.” He bent down to pick something from his laundry and then threw it at MJ. “Sweatpants. Wet jeans are uncomfortable.” With that, he walked into his bathroom and closed the door, giving both of them some privacy.

 

He took his time changing, knowing she was just on the other side of the door changing as well. He checked his hair in the mirror, tried to tame his curls but decided it was no use and left it as they were. 

 

He knocked on the door, “Can I come out?”

 

“Yes, loser. I’ve been done.”

 

Peter stepped out and found MJ sitting cross legged on his bed. She looked up from her phone and smiled. She now wore one of his worn out Columbia t-shirts and had pinned her wet hair on top of her head into a messy bun. She got up and walked to where he stood before pushing past him without a word.

 

He followed her down the stairs and into the living room where Ned sat in the middle of the couch on his laptop. He looked up at them and sighed, “Fucking  _ finally _ . I was about to start this marathon all by myself.”

 

MJ laughed and moved to sit next to Ned. Peter leaned against the side of a chair and crossed his arms. “So what are we watching tonight?”

 

“Okay so I narrowed it down to five options,” Ned replied while closing his laptop. 

 

“I’m guessing  _ Star Wars _ is one of them?” MJ raised her eyebrows.

 

“No,” Ned scoffed.

 

“Yes, it is,” Peter answered for him.

 

“Okay, yes, it is. Whatever,” he rolled his eyes. “ _ Anyway _ …  _ Harry Potter _ -”

 

“That’s always a yes,” MJ said and Peter nodded in agreement.

 

“ _ Lord of the Rings _ …?” Ned continued.

 

“Lame,” MJ replied.

 

Both Peter and Ned gave her condescending looks which only made her laugh.

 

“ _ Pirates of the Carib _ -”

 

“Nope! Hard pass. No Johnny Depp for me, thanks!” MJ shook her head.

 

“Okay so scratch _ Pirates _ . The next one is  _ Back to the Future _ and we can replace _ Pirates  _ with _ Fast and Furious _ ?”

 

“I vote  _ Harry Potter _ and  _ Fast and Furious _ ,” Peter announced.

 

“I’ll go with  _ Back to the Future _ ,” MJ voted.

 

“Really? I wouldn’t think you’d be into that,” Peter told her.

 

MJ shrugged. “Everyone has had a crush on Marty at some point in their lives.”

 

“True,” Ned nodded in agreement. “Well if  _ either _ of you care about my vote, I say  _ Back to the Future _ too.” Ned got up from the couch and went over to the overloading stacks of movies Peter had next to his tv.

 

“I’ll prepare the snacks!” MJ pushed herself to her feet and made her way into the kitchen. Peter followed her, leaving Ned to set up the movie.

 

MJ opened up one of the plastic bags and took out a box of popcorn. Peter watched as she ripped the box open and pulled one of the packets out, ripping the plastic off with her teeth and then setting it into the microwave.

 

She looked comfortable moving around in his kitchen. In  _ his  _ clothes. It made Peter think about how he wouldn’t mind this being his view from time to time. 

 

Grabbing one of the other bags, he pulled out chips and trail mix before walking around the kitchen island to open up one of the cupboards. He reached for three large bowls and handed one to MJ.

 

“Thanks. I like your place. Definitely more spacious than mine. I would’ve thought you and Ned would be living together, though.”

 

“We were,” Peter explained. He opened a bag of chips and began emptying it out onto one of the bowls. “He just got offered a deal at Columbia to live on campus. I decided to live farther out.”

 

The microwave beeped and MJ opened it, pulling out the smoking bag of popcorn. “Why?”

 

Peter shrugged, “Too many people.”

 

“There’s people everywhere, Parker,” she laughed. “Especially in New York.”

 

The real reason Peter chose not to live on campus was to avoid the risk of getting caught. He always snuck out randomly and to do it in a community filled with insomniac students was a bad idea. That’s why he had chosen to live in this specific building; most of the tenants were retired couples that could care less about what happened outside their window.  

 

Peter poured the trail mix into the last bowl as MJ placed another popcorn packet into the microwave.  They stood side by side against the counter, neither saying a word. Peter rubbed his bottom lip with his finger as MJ crossed and uncrossed her legs.

 

“You’re gonna make me say it, aren’t you?” She sighed.

 

He looked at her. “Say what?”

 

“That I…” she opened the microwave, “want you to kiss me right now.”

 

Peter tried real hard not to smirk but he did anyway. “Oh, I know.”

 

MJ had been emptying both bags of popcorn into a bowl when she turned to face him. “No, you don’t!”

 

“Yes, I do.” Peter chuckled and pushed himself off the counter. “I could see it all over your face while you stared down at my half naked body,” he waved his finger in front of her face which only earned him a hard swat from her. “Okay,  _ ow? _ ”

 

“You asked for it and I take it back. You can keep your lips to yourself,” she smiled sarcastically as she took two of the bowls and began to walk back to the living room area.

 

Peter grabbed the last bowl and rushed after her, catching up and then leaning forward to whisper in her ear, “At least you didn’t deny the whole you staring at my body part. That’s good to know.”

 

He didn’t wait for her response and walked ahead of her, grinning to himself. He placed the bowl down on the coffee table and settled into the couch. He finally turned to look at MJ and was surprised to find her looking perfectly calm, expressionless. 

 

“Hey, Ned. We forgot the drinks. Mind getting some?” She asked Ned who was just about to sit down in his ‘movie’ chair.

 

“Fine,” he grumbled. “Anything else? Because I am  _ not _ moving until the movie is over.”

 

MJ rolled her eyes but laughed softly. “Just the drinks, man.”

 

Peter narrowed his eyes at her, knowing she was probably planning something and was trying to get Ned to leave the room. He started getting nervous as he thought that she was probably about to beat the living shit out of him as payback.

 

She watched Ned leave and as soon as he was out of sight, she put the bowls down and literally jumped on him. Her legs rested on either side of his lap so that she was straddling him and he was about to ask what the fuck she was doing when he was silenced with her mouth covering his.

 

She kissed him roughly, her hands diving into his hair and pulling at the ends, making him moan softly into her mouth. He let his hands caress the top of her thighs and slowly slid them down so that he was holding them from below. Their breathing came out short and loud as both of them tried to prolong the kiss before Ned came back.

 

Peter slid his hands up to her waist, up her back and pulled her closer to him, their chest pressed together. He could feel her smiling against his lips before her tongue glided over his bottom lip ever so lightly.

 

Just when he was about to open his mouth to welcome it, she slid off  him and sat back into the corner of the couch, in between him and Ned’s chair. Her lips were pink and slightly swollen and she tried to cover them with her hand. Meanwhile, Peter grabbed the nearest pillow and placed it over his lap, trying to hide the apparent hard-on he now had.

 

MJ snorted as she tried to hold back her laughter. 

 

Ned walked in, carrying both beer and sodas, and froze as he looked over at Peter. “What’s wrong with you?”

 

“Yeah, what’s wrong, Peter?” MJ faked curiosity. 

 

“ _ Nothing _ ,” he replied. “I’m just excited for the movie.”

 

Ned narrowed his eyes and then smiled eagerly, “Yeah, me too!” He sat down and Peter let out a huge breath he didn’t even know he was holding. 

 

MJ stood and went to turn the lights off as Ned pressed play on the film. They were obscured in darkness for a few seconds before the tv illuminated their faces.

 

When MJ came back to sit down, she sat a bit more closer to Peter this time, but not too close for it to seem suspicious to Ned. 

 

“Let me borrow the pillow,” MJ whispered, grabbing it but Peter was too quick for her and he gripped it tightly with his pillow.

 

“MJ…” he started.

 

“Relax,” she yanked but to no use, “I’m not trying to expose you. I just wanna lie down.”

 

He stared her down and she simply smiled innocently up at him. 

 

_ Cute. _

 

He gave in and released the pillow. She took it and set it down against the armrest of the couch before she laid her head down, scrunching her body up so that she could fit into the space between Peter and the other end of the couch.

 

Peter took a glance towards Ned and saw he was too invested in the movie to even care what was going on anywhere else. With minimum movement, he grabbed MJ’s ankles and placed them on his lap. She turned to look at him curiously but smiled and settled back to seeing the tv.

 

Peter relaxed and rested his arm on top of the couch but kept his other hand on MJ’s leg. Their contact was minor but for Peter it felt intimate. Even more intimate than the kiss they just had moments ago.

 

They continued watching the movie, laughing and sharing snacks between them three. They even had to shush Ned every so often when he began to recite the lines from the movie. 

 

They finished the first movie and then started the second one and were halfway through when Peter heard snoring to his left.

 

Ned had his head tilted back, mouth wide open, and was sound asleep. MJ turned her head to look at what Peter was chuckling about and laughed. She sat up and stretched, even letting out a small yawn before standing up.

 

When she turned the lights back on, Peter reached for the remote and turned off the tv. He looked over at Ned. “Yeah, I don’t think he’s leaving anytime soon.”

 

He gave MJ an apologetic look but she just responded with a shrug and a small smile. “It’s fine. I’m too tired to do any type of physical activity anyway.”

 

Peter laughed and stood. “I could’ve done all the work,” he suggested as he approached her. 

 

MJ just rolled her eyes, “I should go though, before it gets too late.”

 

Peter nodded. “I’ll walk you out,” he offered even though he was trying to come up with any excuse to keep her there a little bit longer.

 

They stepped out of his apartment and made their way down the stairs when MJ suddenly stopped and Peter almost rant into her. “Shit,” she looked down at herself, “I forgot to ask if I could dry my clothes while we watched. I think I left them in your room.”

 

“I’ll wash them for you. That way you have a reason to come back,” Peter smirked and continued down the stairs.

 

“So clever,” MJ replied sarcastically. 

 

Peter turned to look at her as he reached the landing and walked backwards towards the main door. She was still coming down the stairs when Peter stood in front of the door, blocking it. 

 

“Uh, what are you doing?” MJ furrowed her eyebrows.

 

Peter placed his hands behind him and leaned against them and continued to gaze at her. He smiled at her and she just frowned, completely lost. 

 

“Are you  _ trapping _ me?” She asked.

 

He ignored her question, “What was the kiss all about?”

 

“What do you mean?” Her features relaxed.

 

“Ned could’ve walked in at any moment. And, um, that kiss was something else,” he chuckled softly and licked his lips.

 

She smirked at his comment. “I did it to shut you up and I think I succeeded, am i right?”

 

He laughed as they both remembered his very physical reaction from it. “Yes, fine but it felt more like you were trying to prove a point.”

 

“Which was…?”

 

“That you can do surprises better than me,” he chuckled.

 

She smiled. “So you agree. I’m better at this than you.”

 

He merely shrugged as he pushed himself off the door and opened it for her. “I’m not sure. We’re barely scratching the surface so I can’t really confirm nor deny your-”

 

“You’re such an idiot!” She groaned and punched him on the shoulder - which felt nothing to him - before she walked out.

 

He walked out with her and left the door a bit open since he didn’t have his keys with him. The rain had stopped, leaving the pavement with small puddles where lights from nearby windows and lampposts reflected back at them both. 

 

MJ looked around and then pulled out her phone. “There’s no cabs  _ anywhere _ . Which is really fucking weird.” She tapped her phone a few times and placed the phone on her ear.

 

Peter watched as she hugged her stomach with one arm and then rested her elbow on top of it for support as she called for a cab. She glanced over for a second and immediately looked away but Peter caught her grin.

 

She hung up and turned to face him. “They’ll be here in a couple of minutes.”

 

“You wanna know what I’ve noticed?” Peter asked.

 

“Not really but I have a feeling you’re gonna tell me anyway,” she muttered.

 

“You smile a lot now. I like to think it’s because of me or Ned or both or your life is just where it’s supposed to be so you finally have a reason to but… I like it. I even like your slightly crooked tooth.”

 

Her face was expressionless and Peter started thinking that maybe he had offended her somehow. 

 

“So…” Peter looked down at his feet and kicked a pebble away, “We have some time to kill.”

 

“Someone could see us…” she cleared her throat but then smiled, clearly catching on to what Peter was proposing.

 

“Oh,  _ now _ you worry about someone catching us,” Peter laughed and then walked the few steps until he stood in front of her. He didn’t exactly tower over her, but he still had gained a few inches on her so that she at least had to tilt her head back just a bit to look at him.

 

“Ned could wake up and try to look for us and then just coincidentally look out the window,” she argued. She hadn’t stepped back from how close he was standing which only let him know that she wanted this just as much.

 

“I really don’t care,” he breathed out and then he kissed her but not just to win over some competition. He kissed her because he wanted to and because he wanted to make up for the minutes - more like seconds - that he hadn’t spent kissing her since their lips had last met.

 

He kissed her gently but deep, taking his time and reveling in the small instances where their mouths separated and then connected back again. She smelled like flowers, mixed with a familiar scent that he recognized was his. He wrapped his arm around her waist without breaking contact from the kiss, pulling her even closer. 

 

The way they were embraced right now, if anyone were to look in their direction, they would think they were just a couple enjoying an affectionate moment before they part. That thought alone made Peter’s chest tighten, but not out of panic, but more out of desire that he wouldn’t mind being that; a boyfriend kissing his girlfriend goodnight.

 

“Don’t go,” he whispered against her mouth. “Stay. I’ll wake Ned and ask him to leave.”

 

She laughed softly before kissing again and responding, “No, you won’t.”

 

“You’re right, I won’t,” he admitted. Peter gave her one long-lasting kiss before he leaned back and sighed.

 

She dropped her arms, which had been gripping onto his shoulders. Peter still kept his hold on her, though. “Trust me, I get it. I could easily say yes and go upstairs with you and do all the wild things that  _ innocent _ little mind of yours has planned but… I’m enjoying  _ this _ ,” she pointed between the two of them. “The whole ‘expect the unexpected’ thing.”

 

He had to agree. He was sure that for the both of them, this was a completely new and yet exciting experience. Maybe that small glimpse he had of them as a couple was actually a glimpse of a possible future.

 

Just in time, a cab pulled up to the curb and Peter released his hold on her. She took a few step backs and then placed two fingers by her temple and saluted him goodbye. He watched as she got into the cab before it pulled away, her waving from the window.

 

As he waved back, a small chill went through his body, a different type of chill than his senses. The air seemed cooler and he hadn’t even noticed given the fact that he was wrapped around MJ most of the time.

 

He looked up and saw nothing but darkness; not the clear night sky, but the dark sinister clouds obscuring the city below. 

  
  
  
  
  



	9. LOTREK - MJ

“I’m not stressed!”

 

“All I said was that you sounded different,” Peter said slowly on the phone.

 

MJ placed her phone down on her desk and put Peter on speaker while she moved around her office gathering paperwork. “I have a meeting in 30 minutes and my computer crashed just as I was going to print out all my research. I’m glad I have most of it saved on my tablet because going to this meeting empty handed isn’t really an option.”

 

“What’s the meeting about?” Peter asked before some loud crunching sound came from his end.

 

“It’s not really a meeting,” MJ replied as she stacked some papers together and straightened them out. “It’s more of a me dropping by and refusing to leave without having a talk with whoever is in charge.”

 

“In charge of what?” He sounded like he had his mouth full.

 

“Ever heard of Lotrek? They’re a marketing agency that just settled in New York two years ago and they’re basically invested by all of the top businesses in Manhattan.”

 

“Nope, never heard of it but isn’t that a good thing? Means they’re really good at what they’re doing, right?” Peter questioned.

 

“It means either  _ that _ or they’re hiding something that’s making them reach the height they’re on. My main goal is to expose them but I need this meeting-”

 

“More like an  _ interrogation, _ ” Peter interrupted.

 

“ _ Whatever _ . I just need to get a feel of the place, find out their main objective face to face because they can say whatever shit they want on paper but not everyone can lie through their eyes,” MJ told him. 

 

Peter stayed silent for a few seconds but she checked her phone anyway to make sure he hadn’t hung up. 

 

“So you can tell if someone is hiding something by just looking into their eyes?” He merely asked. 

 

“It’s one of my greatest skills,” she grinned at herself.

 

“Hmm, interesting,” was all he said.

 

“Do you have plans today?” It came out awkward and unfamiliar, since she wasn’t used to having to ask these sort of questions.

 

“No classes today but I’m heading over to the lab with Ned to work on this new thesis one of our professors offered to us. It’s really interesting. It’s sort of this alien species and we get to observe and discover its different qualities. It doesn’t even have limbs, MJ. It’s like a living plasmatic compound…”

 

MJ smiled as she listened to him ramble on. She always admired how eager he was when it came to learning new things but she never dared to admit it to his face before. She even used to feign being annoyed by it.

 

“What if I wrote something about this thesis of yours?” She interrupted him as she placed her phone back to her ear.

 

“What?” He chuckled. “Why would you do that?”

 

“Because…” she thought for a few seconds, “Why not bring light to something huge you’re studying? You and Ned getting a little recognition wouldn’t be so bad. Plus, I’m interested and it’d be pretty cool to see an alien lifeform up close.”

 

“That’s… actually really cool of you. Yeah, yeah, um, I’ll mention it to Ferguson and see if anyone really is allowed to write about it. I’m not even sure I’m allowed to tell  _ you _ ,” he laughed.

 

“It’ll be our secret, then. Just let me know,” she replied with a smile. There was tapping on one of her windows and she glanced up to find Linda pointing at her wrist and mouthing something. MJ looked down at her watch and instantly got up from her seat. “I actually gotta go now, Parker. Have fun with your alien.”

 

“Will do. Good luck at your ‘ _ meeting’ _ ,” he added.

 

MJ laughed softly. “Thanks, loser.”

 

***

 

MJ walked briskly down the sidewalk until she stopped to stand in front of the very tall and very intimidating Lotrek building. 

 

It stretched way above its adjoining buildings, completely towering above them. It had floor to ceiling tinted windows, giving it the sort of façade that it was covered in black glass. 

 

MJ looked down at her clothes; she wore a gray pantsuit with a navy blue dress shirt tucked in at the waist. She even dared to wear a pair of low heeled boots. Not that she needed the extra height but either way...

 

She began her walk into the building and she remembered that she had done enough research to know that they didn’t let just  _ anyone _ into this building. Besides their high tech security on every entry point, anyone who walked in and out of there had to have their fingerprint scanned.

 

“Badge?”

 

MJ turned and faced a slouched old man, who sat by a computer. He had this bored look in his eyes as if he’s rather be at home reading the newspaper than in here, scanning everyone in.

 

“I’m visiting,” MJ informed him and pulled out her  _ Daily Bugle _ ID. “I’m here for a meeting.”

 

The old man squinted as he took her ID from her, observed it, and then handed it back to her. Without saying a word, he started typing on his computer and MJ just stood there waiting.

 

She noticed that ahead of them, a few lines were formed as people walked through metal detectors. 

 

MJ furrowed her eyebrows. She understood the concern for security but it just enforced her suspicions that they wouldn’t go through this much trouble if they weren’t trying to keep something safe.

 

“Place your index here, please,” Slouchy spoke.

 

MJ did as she was told and then he gave her a small blue badged with a huge ‘V’ planted in the center. 

 

“Make sure to place that where visible at all times. Thank you for visiting Lotrek,” he then smiled but it was the tired type of smile.

 

MJ walked past him and attached her visitors badge on on of the pockets on her shirt. She went through security without trouble and followed the signs that pointed towards the elevators that would take her up to the lobby.

 

Ten floors up, and the doors opened up to a vast and very white lobby. It distinctly reminded MJ of a hospital. In the center, sat a young woman, maybe MJ’s age, focused on her computer. A black wall behind her had a large waterfall cascading down onto the floor.

 

MJ approached her desk and the receptionist looked up and smiled widely. She was fair skinned and blonde, with extremely vibrant green eyes and pearly white teeth that forced MJ to look away. The small name plaque on her chest named her as Holly.  “Welcome to Lotrek. How can I help you?”

 

She seemed almost robotic which only gave MJ the creeps. “Michelle Jones. I’m with the  _ Daily Bugle _ and had a scheduled meeting with-”

 

“Mr. Bart, yes. Can I see your identification, please?”

 

MJ pulled out her ID once again and waited while Holly went over her credentials. Nicholas Bart was the manager of all communications involving the agency. 

 

MJ made a mental note.

 

Down the hallway to MJ’s right, a door opened and two men in matching suits walked out. They seemed to be in the middle of an argument given the very expressive way they moved their hands around.

 

“... can’t do it tomorrow! He asked for it today! We can’t be moving the stuff around from place to place-”

 

“I heard him! But what else are we supposed to do! It’s all packaged and-”

 

“Gentlemen!” Holly was up on her feet, facing the men as they neared the lobby. They both snapped to look at her. “We have a  _ guest _ . Please, take this  _ discussion _ somewhere else.”

 

The one with dark shaggy hair eyed MJ curiously. He checked her out from head to toe. Then he smirked.

 

_ Disgusting. _

 

He clearly didn’t have a care in the world that there were three more people in the room and they were all looking directly at him. 

 

MJ narrowed her eyes and raised her chin as if to say, “ _ Problem? _ ”

 

The guy just scoffed and walked away, the other following right behind him.

 

“Sorry about that,” Holly laughed softly. “I’ll take you to Mr. Bart’s office. He’s running late from a meeting but he’ll be in in a few minutes.”

 

Holly handed MJ back her ID and started to walk down the hallway. MJ followed silently and as they passed the room the suits had exited from, she glanced at the label by the door.

 

_ Packaging & Distribution _

 

“What the hell?” MJ whispered to herself.

 

Holly turned a corner and a few feet in front of them, two blurred glass doors separated the hallway to what MJ guessed was Mr. Bart’s office. Holly pushed against the doors and walked in, holding the door open for MJ.

 

His office was just as big as the lobby; all furniture made out of glass. Holly pointed to one of the leather seats in front of the large desk that was placed in the center.

 

MJ took a seat and sighed. She heard the door silently close after Holly left her. She looked around, trying to gather as much visual information as she could but everything was so organized and annoyingly clean. She thought back to what those two guys were arguing about and the room they had come from.

 

It wouldn’t take a genius to piece together that for some reason a  _ marketing _ agency had products and were moving it around. The way Holly had interrupted them also led MJ to believe that it was a discussion she shouldn’t have been listening to.

 

One thing she knew for sure was that her suspicions were right. Something else is going on in this building and they were doing everything they can to keep it hidden.

 

The  _ swoosh _ of the door made MJ turn in her seat and she saw a very tall but broad man walk in. MJ began to stand up but he raised a hand, stopping her. “No need for that, Miss…?”

 

“Jones!” Holly chirped behind him.

 

“Right,” he responded and gave MJ a curt nod. He walked around his desk and took his seat.

 

“Anything to drink? Coffee? Water?” Holly offered. “Miss Jones, would you-”

 

“We’re fine, Holly. Please, leave us,” Mr. Bart dismissed her.

 

MJ straightened in her seat and observed him quickly. His beady eyes were hard to decipher; they were blank, vague, making it hard to tell what he was thinking. He was very straightforward and stern and he made sure anyone around him knew he was in charge.

 

Good thing MJ had experience dealing with men whose ego was bigger than Saturn and Venus put together.

 

“Miss Jones, I don’t have a lot of time but I know you’ve been very stubborn about this interview so let’s make this quick shall we?”

 

He smiled but MJ immediately saw the hypocrisy behind it. She knew he wasn’t pleased about her being here whatsoever.

 

MJ pulled out her small tablet from her bag and opened up her notes. “This agency has gone through exponential growth over the past two years? Why? What is it that works here and not at other companies?”

 

Mr. Bart laughed. “ _ ‘Why?’ _ We have the best team, Miss Jones. Other agencies are great but we’re far better. We study and understand how people work and we used that to our advantage to give people what they want. We’re like Santa Claus on Christmas; they come and ask for what they need and we make sure to provide.”

 

_ Standard answer. _

 

“I noticed on my walk over here that one of your rooms is marked ‘Packaging and Distribution’,” she continued. “What exactly is the purpose of that room?”

 

He narrowed his eyes and grinned. “That seems off topic, Miss Jones.”

 

MJ just shrugged and smiled. “Just curious.”

 

“Curiosity did kill the cat,” he grinned even wider and all of MJ’s instincts screamed at her to _ run. _ “But I guess, if you need to know, “ he sighed. “Our clients sometimes send us their products to help us in the process and we make sure to send them back in one piece.”

 

“Really?” MJ questioned. 

 

“What else do you think it’s for?” He asked back.

 

“Oh, nothing like drugs or weapons, I’m sure,” MJ said and looked carefully for any change of expression from him.

 

Nothing.

 

“Like I said, _ curious _ ,” she added.

 

“I’ve read a lot about you, Miss Jones. Lived with a single parent who passed away as soon as you started college. Dartmouth graduate, highest in your class, only to come back to New York and work for a newspaper that only sells to write about a guy in tights.” He said all this in a rush, basically spitting it out at her. “Tell me, why waste your time?”

 

MJ feigned laughter and looked down at her lap. He had done his own research. She looked up at him, “I have my reasons but I’m sorry, I thought I was the one doing the interview?”

 

“Well I thought since you were throwing around useless questions, I can go ahead and ask some of my own.”

 

MJ’s whole body tensed. 

 

He smiled a genuinely smile this time. “If that’s all the questions you have for me today, Miss Jones… you know the way out. Please, don’t send me a copy of the article. That’s if, you even get to write-”

 

“One last question,” MJ interrupted and raised her voice. “As much as your success has driven you forward, you have had your setbacks. According to this,” MJ placed her tablet in front of him, “You’ve laid off almost 67% of the staff you hired in the beginning of the year, replacing them instantly.”

 

He hadn’t even glanced down at the screen. “People get fired all the time. Your point?”

 

“More than ninety-five percent of those employees are minorities,” she stated before crossing her arms above her chest.

 

This made him frown. He finally teared his eyes away from MJ and looked down at the tablet where the facts were fully displayed. “How did you get this information?”

 

“It’s a matter of public record. I just happen to know where to look,” she replied.

 

He finally glanced up at her, worry lines clearly etched on his huge forehead. “We let go of people who are not cut out for this job. It’s a mere coincidence what the facts are showing but what are you trying to imply, Miss Jones?”

 

“Exactly what you’re thinking,” she stated as she stood up. “Thank you for confirming everything and for your  _ precious _ time.”

 

“I don’t know exactly what you’re up to but I  _ suggest _ you back off,” Mr. Bart was practically glaring at her.

 

“Was that a threat, Mr. Bart?” She picked up her tablet and placed it back in her bag. “I don’t know exactly what you’re hiding here but I plan to find out and this minority statement is just me barely uncovering the surface.”

 

“I assure you, Miss Jones,” he said loudly as he stood, towering over her. “We are an honorable agency. We’re just good at our jobs. I understand your confusion between the correlation of being successful and the hard work we do here in Lotrek.” He grinned before he continued. “And if you decide to play detective again, please don’t waste both of our time.”

 

“Don’t worry,  _ Mr. Bart _ . I got everything I needed,” she smiled sarcastically and then turned to leave his office. 

 

She basically stormed out, needing to get away as soon as possible. She walked down the long hallway to the lobby and stopped short when she saw the Packaging and Distribution door slightly open.

 

She stole a glance towards the lobby but Holly was nowhere around. She looked back in the direction of Bart’s office and tried to hear his footsteps but heard silence instead.

 

She pushed the door open and peeked her head in. It was a regular room filled with different sized boxes along the floor. A wide door stood at the other end. A handprint scanner, along with other security locks, surrounded the door. Whatever was behind that door, Lotrek was making sure it was well hidden.

 

MJ eyed a box nearest to her. It was taped shut so she couldn’t peek at what was inside but a label stamped on top marked the box as ‘Armed and Ready’. She took out her phone and snapped a quick picture just as the rear door beeped and opened. 

 

She stepped back and shut the door before she quickly rushed through the lobby and pressed the ‘down’ button for the elevator repeatedly. Whoever was exiting through the secured door could come out to the lobby at any second, or worse Bart could appear and she really didn’t want to see his face any more than her poor eyes already have.

 

The elevator finally arrived and MJ jumped in and as soon as the doors closed, she let out a huge breath and leaned back against the wall. 

 

MJ had met several assholes in her lifetime but all of them seemed like angels compared to Nicholas Bart. That egocentric swine thought he could have her break down in front of him just by bringing up her past and belittling her about her career choice.

 

The elevator stopped and the doors slid open and MJ walked out, dropping her visitor’s badge on a bin near the exit. She pushed out and took in a deep breath of the New York air. She continued her walk but took out her phone once again.

 

She dialed a number and placed the phone on her ear as she looked back at the building behind her.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hey, how soon can you meet me?”

 

“Um, I still have to make 156 copies for Jameson-”

 

“Drop it,” MJ ordered Linda. “We have to talk.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys are really enjoying the story so far.  
> I finally organized the whole plot and I can predict that there will be around 10-20 more chapters before the fic is finished.  
> I love reading all of your thoughts and reactions! Thank you for the constant support! xx
> 
> -N


	10. Dinner Invitation - Peter

“I’ll be in there in a bit.”

 

Peter raised his phone to let Ned know he had to make a call. Ned just nodded and proceeded to go into Ferguson’s lab.

 

May had texted Peter to call her as soon as possible. His first thoughts were that something had gone wrong and she was in trouble.

 

After the first ring, she immediately picked up. “Oh, thank god, Peter.”

 

“Aunt May? What’s wrong?” He was already heading back down the hallway.

 

“I need cheesecake. You know, the one from that small place by your school?”

 

Peter stops in his tracks and pulls his phone away to stare at the screen. Did he hear her right? Then he slowly placed it back on his ear. “ _ May. _ You can’t just text me like that and not expect me to think the worst.”

 

“Well, this  _ is _ an emergency,” she responded.

 

Peter squeezed his eyes shut. “Not the kind of emergency I was thinking about. Why do you need cheesecake?”

 

“For dessert! I’m making a big dinner this weekend and I want you and Ned to come. Rick will help me and hopefully you can finally-”

 

“Rick?” Peter interrupted her. “Rick who? Not Rick-from-the-library, Rick?”

 

“Yes, Rick-from-the-library. He offered to take me to dinner when I helped him pick out a book and well...”

 

Peter knew May wasn’t going to stay alone forever. He even encouraged her to not feel guilty about meeting someone but she immediately shook her head at the idea and used her busy schedule as an excuse. Now she has met somebody who is going to help her cook dinner and she wants him to meet him.

 

Peter smiled.

 

“No, yeah, that’s great, Aunt May. I’ll make sure to let Ned know…” He heard footsteps coming towards him and he turned to face whoever it was only to be caught in full surprise. 

 

“MJ?”

 

“MJ?” May repeated. “I haven’t heard that name in a  _ long _ time,” she laughed softly.

 

“Uh, no. MJ’s here,” Peter furrowed his eyebrows, wondering why in the hell she was here. Not that it bothered him- it was just random. 

 

“Oh, really? Are you guys friends again? You should invite her to dinner with us! I would love to catch up. I think she used to have a small crush on y-”

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Peter muttered as MJ waved at him, Linda speed-walking next to her. “I’ll bring the cheesecake, May. Bye. Love you.”

 

He hung up and put his phone into his back pocket before he waved back at MJ. He stared as she approached him. She looked excited and giddy like she had just won the lottery. 

 

“Hey, Parker.”

 

“Hey, yourself,” he replied as he laughed at Linda who practically waved her hand close to his face. “Hey, Linda. What are- What are you guys doing here? How did you find me?”

 

“It wasn’t hard. We just asked around for a guy who wore oversized clothes and spent the majority of his day in a possible science building. Almost  _ everyone _ knew right away who we were talking about,” MJ laughed. Linda rolled her eyes but smiled, letting him know she was completely joking.

 

Peter chuckled, “I  _ am _ very popular.”

 

“Whatever. Where’s Ned?” She asked while looking around.

 

Peter pointed to the door in front of them. “We’re about to start on the thesis I told you about but I haven’t seen Dr. Ferguson get yet. We can go in, I guess.”

 

He led the way into the lab where nine long tables were set up with different scientific equipment on top of them. Jacob was sitting on a chair at the front of the room, looking down at his phone. He looked up when they approached him and he smiled wide and got up to greet MJ and Linda.

 

“What’s up guys?”

 

MJ pursed her lips and looked over at Linda and then at Peter. “Remember how I told you I had this meeting-”

 

“Interrogation,” Peter corrected her.

 

“... _ meeting _ with this agency?” She finished.

 

Peter nodded and Ned stared curiously at the both of them. MJ placed her hand out in front of Linda and Linda simply pulled out a tablet from the bag she was carrying and put it on MJ’s palm.

 

They all stood around one of the tables as MJ played a recording for them which Peter realized was actually the interview between MJ and this Bart bloke. The guy was a complete asshole but MJ never backed down and Peter grinned, a sense of pride spreading over his chest. When Bart mentioned MJ’s past- about one of her parents passing away and her choice to come back to New York- Peter glanced up at MJ but she remained staring down at the tablet like everyone else. Peter noticed the way her body had tensed up and he got the feeling her past was a topic she didn’t like to talk about as well.

 

Something they have in common.

 

“Whoa,” Ned whispered.

 

They had come to the part where MJ valiantly accused Bart for firing most of their minority employees. The recording ended and Linda took the tablet and dropped it back into her bag.

 

“So he’s racist?” Ned asked.

 

“Potentially could be,” MJ nodded. “He remained pretty stoic while I questioned him but he had quite a reaction when I talked about what I showed him on the tablet. It’s enough to show he’s guilty of  _ something _ .”

 

“You do know that you recording him without him knowing is illegal, right?” Ned mentioned.

 

Everyone stared back at him in silence. Then, MJ spoke, “Haven’t you hacked into stuff before?”

 

Ned frowned and looked over at Peter, who remembered when he convinced Ned to hack into his tech suit many years ago. “Touché.”

 

“You’re a hacker?” Linda whispered at Ned.

 

“I’ll tell you about it later,” Ned replied.

 

MJ laughed softly as she leaned over the table. “I’m not going to use this against him. I know I can’t. But this is enough to get the ball rolling. The employees they fired can try for a lawsuit if they find out the real reason they were let go. I can help and this is just the beginning. But there’s something else…”

 

She pulled out her phone from her pocket and went through it until she found what she was looking for. She placed her phone down on the table so that everyone had to lean over and see what was on the screen.

 

“‘ _ Armed and Ready _ ’?” Linda read out loud. “That doesn’t sound good.”

 

“This was inside that room I talked about and it wasn’t the only one,” MJ looked at all of them.

 

“This looks like a barcode,” Peter noticed and he used his fingers to zoom in on the label.

 

“Maybe to track them?” MJ asked. 

 

“Could be,” Peter muttered. “Or to purchase.”

 

“There was another door inside that had some heavy security. What if the whole  _ marketing agency _ bullshit is just to cover up that these people are doing something dangerous?”

 

“Oh, jeez,” Linda began biting her nails while staring nervously at the phone. “This is both very exciting and really scary.”

 

“Right?” MJ grinned.

 

Peter scratched the back of his head as his mind raced, coming up with hundreds of scenarios of how all of this could go wrong. Peter admired MJ for her determination to do what’s right and expose this company that’s clearly hiding something, but her curiosity can really put her in danger and that’s the last thing he wanted.

 

“Just ask Spider-Man to uncover it for you,” Linda suggested with a small laugh.

 

Peter froze but feigned a chuckle, Ned quickly following suit.

 

“I respect the dude for what he has done for the city but this is  _ my _ story to tell.” MJ grabbed her phone back. “But I am going to need your help-”

 

“Whoa whoa whoa,” Peter raised his hands up to stop her.

 

“Are we in another universe?” Ned asked Peter but then turned to ask Linda, “What universe are we in?”

 

MJ rolled her eyes, “You guys are such idiots.”

 

“Michelle Jones asking for  _ help _ ?” Peter asked incredulously. Linda giggled behind her hand. “ _ Our _ help? Ned, I think I may be having a heart attack,” Peter clutched his chest.

 

“Fuck off!” MJ punched Peter on the shoulder while laughing.

 

“We’re joking,” Peter chuckled. “But how are we supposed to help?”

 

She shrugged. “Just keep an eye out, I guess.”

 

Ned and Peter smirked at each other just when the door to the lab opened and Dr. Ferguson walked in. He walked towards them, completely focused on his phone and then stops and looks up at them. His eyes widen with surprise to find two extra people waiting for him instead of the expected two.

 

“Oh, hello. I’m sorry but office hours-” He began.

 

“We’re not students,” MJ clarified with a small smile as Linda shook her head to confirm.

 

“Dr. Ferguson, this is Michelle Jones and her assistant, Linda Marshall. They work for the  _ Bugle _ . Me and Ned know MJ from high school,” Peter introduced them.

 

Dr. Ferguson shook hands with both of them before adjusting his glasses. “Nice to meet you. Are you writing about the school-?”

 

“Um, no. We were just close by and decided to come say hello,” MJ responded.

 

Dr. Ferguson eyed MJ curiously. It was like he had recognized her and he seemed to be trying to remember from where. It made everyone in the room uncomfortable. Peter didn’t like it. He cleared his throat and made a slight movement so that he stood just a bit more in front of her.

 

That seemed to break whatever trance Dr. Ferguson was in. He blinked several times and shook his head. “Uh, right. Guys? We should get started. Nice to meet you again, ladies.”

 

MJ and Linda both nodded and he turned to walk out of the room. Peter kept staring after him, wondering what in the hell had gotten into his professor.

 

“We should probably leave,” MJ told them. “Don’t want you guys to get in trouble.”

 

“Ferguson is cool,” Ned mentioned. “Except when he makes me grade papers.”

 

They all made their way out of the lab and paused outside the door to say their goodbyes. Peter grabbed MJ’s elbow to get her attention, “Can I speak to you for a bit?”

 

She nodded and let Linda know she’ll catch up with her. Ned waved at everyone and turned to walk in the opposite direction. Ferguson must be waiting for them in the adjacent building where his research is mostly based. 

 

“What’s up?” MJ asked.

 

“I was talking to Aunt May earlier and I mentioned your name.” Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. “She’s making this big dinner this weekend and asked me to ask you if you wanted to come?”

 

Peter didn’t know why he was nervous all of a sudden. She’s come to their old apartment before to hang out with him and Ned during their final years of high school. Her and Aunt May had actually bonded so he wasn’t sure why this felt like he was taking someone new to meet his only living relative. Maybe it had to do with the fact that this is something actual couples did; take each other to be around family. But Peter reminded himself that they were also friends and it shouldn’t be a big deal. Plus, it was Aunt May who had suggested to invite her in the first place.

 

“That actually… sounds really nice,” she smiled softly. “Yeah, sure. Let her know I’ll be there.”

 

“Great!” He clears his throat and adds, “I mean, yeah, cool. Aunt May’s gonna be glad.”

 

She laughs and then looks down at her feet. “Before I go, I wanted to thank you,” she looked up at him. “I know you didn’t do anything big but your teacher was weirding me out,” she laughed. “But anyway, thank you for literally stepping up and stopping whatever the hell was going on.”

 

Peter smiled and nodded. “So… uh, I’m gonna go? Before Ferguson completely takes me out of this thesis.”

 

“No, yeah. I have to head out too,” she pointed behind her towards the doors.

 

Peter was unsure whether he should hug her or not. They’ve never done that before; they usually stopped kissing and that was it and he didn’t want to send mixed signals by hugging her even though, a hug was just a hug. Right?

 

So, he waved and turned to walk away when she called out his name and he turned to look at her.

 

“We should plan a weekend. Or a day. Where we can just be by ourselves?”

 

Peter’s eyebrows shot up in the air in surprise. “Like… leave out of town?”

 

MJ bit her bottom lip and it was one of the sexiest things Peter has ever seen her do. It was a nervous but excited reaction, similar to the feeling in his chest. “Not really? More like us making plans with each other but telling everyone else we made plans so we’re not available to do anything else but be with each other… does that make sense?”

 

Peter pursed his lips as he thought for a moment. “No but I think I know what you’re trying to say? I also thought we weren’t going to be the type to plan things out. That if it happened, it happened.”

 

“Well, yeah, I thought so too but every time we’re with each other there’s always people around,” she laughs softly.

 

Peter was willing to travel anywhere if it meant to spend some alone time with MJ but the risk of something happening in the city and him having to leave her to help… or him not leaving at all and letting something bad happen…?

 

“Okay, sure. We’ll plan something out,” Peter smiled half-heartedly. He’ll figure something out. After all, he wasn’t planning on continuing his friendship with MJ when they first ran to each other but here they were.

 

“I’ll see you at Aunt May’s then?” She smiled big as she began to walk backwards.

 

“Yeah, you will,” Peter confirmed.

 

They waved their goodbyes and Peter finally turned to walk away. He pushed his hand into his pockets as he made his way into the other room where Ned and Ferguson were most likely waiting. 

 

Ferguson barely looked up when Peter walked in and immediately rushed to lead them to yet another lab where they will start their thesis. Ned noticed nothing of it but Peter could sense that something was completely off on the professor today so he ran a bit so he walked side by side with Ferguson.

 

“Hey Dr. Ferguson?”

 

He grunted in response. 

 

“Is everything okay? You seem a little-”

 

“Is that reporter really your friend, Parker?” He asked quickly.

 

“Um, she’s a journalist and yeah, she is. Why?” Peter furrowed his eyebrows.

 

Ferguson suddenly stopped and looked up at Peter with hard stern eyes. Ned almost ran into them. “Let me make it clear that this project I am willingly to let both of you in is very confidential. I would appreciate it if you didn’t let strangers, much less  _ journalists _ , know any kind of information about what we’re working on.”

 

Peter had to hold back the urge to not punch his professor in the face from the way he basically spat out the word ‘journalist’. “That’s fine. But they were there to discuss things that were happening to  _ them _ and not the other way around.”

 

Ferguson’s face relaxed. “Well, okay, good.”

 

“Professor? If this should be a really top secret thing and it’s an  _ alien _ we’re working with… why isn’t this in the hands of the government?” Ned asked and Peter was shocked that he hadn’t questioned this himself. 

 

At this, Ferguson’s lip lifted into a smirk. “Like I said, Leeds. Very  _ confidential _ .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't wait for you guys to read the next chapter ;) -N xx


	11. Losing Control - MJ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally updated! lol I had a very hard time writing this chapter because there was a specific tone I wanted to set in a specific part in this chapter (you'll know which one when you get there..). SO thank you for being patient and just as a heads up, this chapter is 21 pages long in a word doc lol
> 
> For more context about this chapter, check out the notes at the end!
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! xx -N

Peter had offered to pick her up on the way to May’s but she was in her office when he had called. She was trying to find any contact info of all the employees that got fired from Lotrek but it seemed like they all moved or changed their number. She was back to step one and now she felt desperate to find  _ anything _ that could help her crack Lotrek.

 

She finally gave up and left, locking the empty office behind her. It was only a few minutes walk from the  _ Bugle _ to her apartment but the afternoons were starting to cool down and so she took the coat she had slung over her arm and put it on as she picked up her pace. 

 

It’s an eerie thing for your body to sense somebody watching. MJ thought that maybe she was being paranoid and in a city with so many people, some are bound to look and watch her but the prickle that ran along her spine and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up in warning told her otherwise. 

 

She quickly crossed the street, causing several cars to honk in annoyance. She fast-walked the rest of the way until she finally made it inside her apartment complex and she was able to release a huge breath. She made her way towards the elevator and rode it up in silence as she thought over what just happened.

 

Bart had threatened her, that’s for certain, but never did MJ think he would be stupid enough to have her followed. He would be handing her another reason to strike Lotrek.

 

She opened the door to her apartment and rushed to take a quick shower.  After drying herself and her hair, she pinned the front strands of her curls to the back of her head and proceeded to put on moisturizer and a bit of mascara. She eyed the lip gloss that stood out among her neutral amount of makeup products. She placed some on her ring finger and dabbed it along her lips to give them a bit of a shiny look but nothing too eccentric and out of the norm for her.

 

She had placed her outfit on her bed this morning; a charcoal gray long sleeve with a low but round neckline. She had both a black denim skirt and dark high waisted jeans laid out next to the shirt since she couldn’t decide on which one. But now that she had felt how cold the air could get, she chose the jeans and pair of laced up flats to finish the look.

 

After she got dressed, she grabbed her handbag and her coat. She locked her front door and texted Peter that she was on her way. Immediately, her phone rang and Peter’s name flashed on her screen. She rolled her eyes but managed a grin as she answered, “Hello?”

 

“Hey! You do remember where May’s place is, right?” She could hear voices in the background.

 

“I may be older Parker, but my memory is still pretty much intact,” MJ countered.

 

“Just checking,” he defended himself. “So, um… what are you wearing?”

 

MJ suddenly started coughing. “Wh-what?!”

 

She listened to him chuckle. “What are you wearing?”

 

“Um… a long sleeved shirt and jeans?” She answered in a question.

 

“Okay, good cause Aunt May wants to have dinner on the rooftop for some unknown reason and it’s getting cold out…”

 

MJ smiled to herself. It felt nice to have someone actually worry about her even if it was just about if she was wearing the appropriate clothing to accommodate the weather. “Yeah, okay, Peter. Don’t be such a grandpa,” she screwed up her face and cursed at herself for always responding sarcastically. “But thanks. I’m bringing a coat anyway.”

 

They hung up and MJ waved a taxi over. She figured it would be safer and quicker this way and she wouldn’t have to walk in the cold.

 

After a few minutes of traffic and mystery shortcuts, the taxi pulled up in front of Peter’s old apartment. As she stepped out, a wave of nostalgia hit her as she remembered how several years ago, she used to come up the same sidewalk with her earphones on and an open bag of hot chips in her hands. She always bought an extra bag so the boys could share.

 

She suddenly felt nervous. She hadn’t set foot in this building since she graduated from Midtown High and back then, she saw Peter as an acquaintance, not even a friend. Now, they’re in the middle of whatever the hell they’re in the middle of and everything was so different yet, still the same. 

 

She rang up, announcing her arrival, and they let the door open for her. She headed inside and made her way up until she reached their front door. That’s when she remembered the terrible mistake she made.

 

“Crap,” she whispered to herself.

 

She didn’t bring anything for dinner. She was actually standing in front of their door, empty handed, ready to be fed. She’s not usually invited to dinners or events like this so the thought had completely escaped her mind.

 

She let out a big breath before she knocked on the door.

 

The door swung open and aunt May’s figure appeared. Her mouth dropped open in surprise, “Michelle! I’m sorry, I mean MJ! You look great!” She opened her arms for a hug and MJ willingly stepped forward to embrace her. May felt like home and MJ relaxed as she realized that there really wasn’t any reason to be nervous.

 

They pulled apart and May closed the door. “You look different, MJ. In a good way! You look so grown up. It makes me feel old!”

 

“Oh my god, May,” MJ laughed, “You look exactly the same! If anything, I might even say you have this glow on you.”

 

Aunt May waved her off but from her grin, MJ could tell she appreciated the compliment. It was true though, everyone in the neighborhood admired May for her youth-like appearance but tonight, she seemed to radiate more than usual.

 

“MJ, this is Rick. Rick this is one of Peter’s friends,” May introduced them.

 

A broad looking man turned around and extended his hand to MJ. He was tall and very muscular so that even with the loose sweater he had on, his muscles were prominent and hard to miss. He had low-cut hair and a small beard that barely shadowed his face. He was very handsome in a rogue kind of way.

 

“Michelle Jones,” MJ took his hand and shook it firmly.

 

“Nice to meet you, Michelle. May mentioned you were with Peter in high school?” He took the towel he had draped over his shoulder and began to wipe his hands.

 

“Yes, we graduated together and just met up recently,” MJ mentioned.

 

He smiled kindly but his smile didn’t quite meet his eyes. “That’s awesome. I’m looking forward to all the embarrassing high school stories all of you have to share. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take the rest of the plates up to the roof.”

 

As soon as he walked out, MJ let her jaw drop as she pointed in the direction Rick had just left in. Aunt May basically squealed and whispered “ _ I know! _ ”

 

“How did  _ that _ happen?” MJ asked.

 

“I swear, it was something straight out of a movie. We’ll tell you more about it upstairs! I think Rick took everything that we needed so could you go and fetch Peter? He’s in his room,” Aunt May smiled at her before she left.

 

MJ watched her go and then turned to make her way to Peter’s room. His door was slightly open but she knocked anyway before going in.

 

His room was empty and surprisingly clean. The last time she set foot in here, Peter and Ned were on the floor studying while munching on junk food while she took up Peter’s desk with her books. His bed was made neatly and most of his posters still adorned his walls. His only window was open, letting the chill air drift inside.

 

“Peter?”

 

“Hey!” 

 

She jumped back as his face appeared by the window. He climbed back inside and closed the window. 

 

“Uh, what were you doing?”

 

“Checking out the new fire escape they put up recently. I always wanted a fire escape near my window,” he breathed out. He was wearing a black crew neck sweater over what looked like a navy blue button down. He was dressed the way high school Peter would dress except more… sophisticated. 

 

“They’re all setting up upstairs. May wanted me to come get you,” MJ explained.

 

Peter just smiled his small smile and took a seat on his bed. MJ raised an eyebrow and he just shrugged in response. She rolled her eyes and stepped nearer to a shelf that was placed on his wall. She could feel him watching her intently. It was a welcoming feeling, it made her feel warm inside, unlike how she had felt on her walk back home earlier.  

 

Different sized portraits showed pictures of Peter and Ned on their first day of school. Another one displayed Aunt May hugging an eight-year old Peter, both of them laughing and covered in birthday cake frosting. His uncle must have been the one taking the picture. The last one was a more of a recent one, well, a few years ago recent. Peter was smiling brightly up at the camera while Tony Stark stood next to him, arm draped over Peter’s shoulder and gazing at him with such pride it even pulled at MJ’s heartstrings. 

 

“That was the summer after sophomore year,” Peter muttered from behind her. She didn’t even hear him approach her. He looked over her shoulder at the picture in her hands. “He had invited me to one of his conferences but we ended up ditching and he let me drive his Ferrari. Turns out I wasn’t actually driving, his interface program, Friday, was. It was still fun, though.”

 

MJ glanced over at him and he was smiling a sad smile. “Do you miss them?”

 

He lifted his eyes to look back at her. “Who?”

 

“Stark. Your uncle… your parents?”

 

He nodded. “Yeah, I do. But it’s not as painful as before. I try to remember all the happy memories like this one,” he tapped the picture frame, “And just try to do things in a way where I know they’ll be proud of me.”

 

MJ looked away and swallowed the small knot that had formed in the back of her throat and placed the picture back in its place. He had shared a bit of his past without him even knowing and it made MJ realize how much more in common they have. “They are. We all are.”

 

“Thank you,” he merely whispered. 

 

She turned her whole body so that she faced him and nodded. He was standing close, completely surrounding her and making his room seem smaller than it already was. She had imagined standing in his room, just the two of them, looking at each other the way they are now, so many times during high school. It was kind of surreal how their lives had diverged and now they were standing in the room where it all began for her.

 

She leaned forward and pressed her lips on his gently; a peck to let him know that she was there and she understood. She pulled back with a small smile and stepped around him to leave when his hand closed around her wrist, stopping her. His fingers slid down to her hand before he pulled her back in front of him. 

 

Before she even had the time to ask what was wrong, he crashed his lips on hers, forcing her to take a few steps back until her butt met the edge of his desk. His hands held her face firmly while her own hands circled around his back, pulling him closer. He kissed her slowly but sensual as if they had all the time in the world but he wanted to make sure to use the time to explore her mouth. 

 

Without breaking the kiss and picked her up by the waist and placed her down on top of his desk. She wrapped her legs around him and dropped her hands to the hem of his sweater and began to pull it up and he quickly got the idea. He leaned back and was about to take it off when MJ stopped him. 

 

“Wait, no,” she groaned. “Your aunt, Ned… they’re waiting for us. We can’t do this now.”

 

“Shit. I forgot,” he chuckled nervously. He let go of his sweater and looked back at her. His lips were slightly pink and swollen and she could see small traces of her lip gloss on them. 

 

She used her legs to pull him back closer to her. He obediently stepped forward and gazed at her. She reached out and wiped the gloss off his top lip, making him chuckle. He kissed her fingers and then bent down to kiss her cheek before burying his face in the crook of her neck. Her chest grew warm and she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him to her.

 

“We definitely need that weekend getaway, huh?” He whispered into her neck. A few goosebumps erupted along her skin and carried down to her spine. 

 

“Yeah, we do,” she laughed softly.

 

He finally pulled away and helped her jump off his desk. They both checked themselves and each other before they finally made their way to the rooftop.

 

***

 

MJ had never come up to their roof. She didn’t even know they had a rooftop available for the tenants to come and hangout.

 

“May convinced everyone in the building to pitch in to add some furniture and lights,” Peter explained as he opened the door that led outside.

 

It was windy but it felt good after the event of what just happened in Peter’s old bedroom. Further down their right, lamps of different shapes and sizes surrounded two joined foldable tables. Ned, May and Rick were already in their seats, talking to one another. The sun had begun to set, casting a soft pink-orange glow into the sky. MJ took a mental picture as she and Peter approached them. 

 

“Finally! What happened?” Ned asked as he stood and greeted MJ with a hug.

 

“I caught Peter climbing outside his window,” MJ said.

 

“Climbing?” Aunt May asked with a worried look in her eyes. 

 

Peter waved his hand, calming her down. “I was just exploring the fire escape.”

 

Both aunt May and Ned seemed to release a big breath which MJ found funny. Even Rick had one of his eyebrows raised in question. 

 

Peter and MJ sat next to one another and soon, they all began to pass around the endless amount of food Rick and May had prepared.

 

“I really do feel bad that I didn’t bring anything,” MJ told May.

 

“It’s fine, MJ! My only concern was the cheesecake,” she winked at Peter.

 

“How about I take you out for lunch one day?” MJ offered.

 

Aunt May smiled so big, she outbrighted the lamps that surrounded them. “That sounds fun. Sure, we’ll plan it out.”

 

Rick finally told MJ the story about how him and May met in a library. He was in there looking for a sequel to a book he had read years ago and May was standing right in front of the book. May was right, it seemed like something straight out of a movie. They talked about everything and anything, everyone sharing their own stories. 

 

“I’ve always wanted to ask, why did you move away?” May asked MJ as she served Ned his second serving of spaghetti. “I had the impression you were going to start off at NYU just like the boys.”

 

“Oh,” MJ wiped her mouth with her napkin. She could sense Peter’s eyes on her. “Yeah, that was the plan but… uh, my dad… passed away and he always wanted me to go to Dartmouth and since I actually got in, I thought, why not?” She tried to smile but she had never shared this story. She always just kept it short or changed the subject entirely. 

 

“Oh, I’m sorry sweetheart,” May muttered.

 

MJ nodded and continued, “It’s okay. I was going to go there eventually, I just sped the process along.”

 

“I’m sure your dad would be very proud either way,” May smiled encouragingly. 

 

Then MJ heard Peter whisper, “We all are.” The grin that split her face was genuine and the surge of emotion that crept into her chest was something new and terrifying.

  
  


Ned eventually changed the conversation, which MJ was grateful for, and began to recounter one of the many adventures him and Peter had in college. As Peter enthusiastically told Rick about the day him and Ned locked themselves out of their dorm on their first night, MJ watched him as she relaxed back into her seat. She’d been slightly stressed with the Lotrek situation that she hasn’t had time to just sit back and be able to breathe. It was one of her greatest weaknesses and strengths. Now seeing Peter, smiling and expressing himself with his hands… he was different from the last time she saw him before she moved away for school. Back then, you couldn’t even get him to mutter a word, much less look up from his food. His happiness in that moment was contagious and MJ found herself smiling like an idiot. 

 

MJ was happy for May, too. The way she held Rick’s hand tightly over the table while she laughed at Peter and Ned’s stories made her feel sure that one really is able to find joy again. Rick’s thumb rubbed May’s knuckles gently but when MJ glanced up at his face, she noticed that there was something off in his expression. He was concerned about something and even though he was smiling and chuckling with everyone else, it looked like he was somewhere else mentally.

 

Or maybe it was just MJ being skeptical just like she always is when it came to the male species.

 

As the evening wore on, it began to get darker and they could no longer see themselves despite the lamps around them. May suggested for them to go back downstairs and have a piece of that cheesecake to end the night.

 

MJ helped pile up the dirty disposable dishes before Peter tied the trash bags up and Rick took them down to throw them away. Ned and May took as much of the remaining food in their arms and headed downstairs. MJ was about to follow when she looked back for Peter and found him leaning against the barrier on the edge of the roof. MJ turned to let May and Ned know they’ll be down in a minute but they were already gone, so she slowly walked towards Peter, finally putting on her coat.

 

“You okay?” She asked as she approached him. She stood back, just in case she got the feeling that he wanted to be alone.

 

He turned his head and smiled at her. “Yeah, never better.”

 

She reached the barrier and leaned on her hands as she overlooked the justle of the city below them. Despite the small distance between them and the fact that both of them were wearing coats, the intense feeling that he was standing right next to her and they were alone once again was overwhelming. She longed for him to hold her, to have his arms wrapped around her and not say a word. She wouldn’t dare ask him, though.

 

“ So… Rick? How are you feeling about your aunt dating again?” 

 

Peter kept his vision straight forward. “I’m fine with it. I was the one who had to reassure her that it was okay. She’s still young and she no longer has me to take care of so she should at least have someone to be there for her when I can’t.”

 

“What about  _ him _ , though?” She asked.

 

“He doesn’t seem dangerous,” he shrugged. “He’s very quiet, which I found very strange since Uncle Ben wasn’t.” He began to chuckle and finally looked over at MJ. “He always had to say something about  _ everything _ and I loved it. I guess I just never expected Rick to be May’s type.”

 

“I never expected you to be my type either and here we are.” She realized too late that she had voiced that out loud.

 

Peter stood up straight and smirked at her. “I’m  _ your _ type, huh?”

 

“Shut up. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she muttered. She couldn’t even look at him but she grinned, feeling slightly embarrassed for being caught.

 

“I guess I never expected you to be my type, either.” He had stepped closer and was facing his whole body towards her. MJ kept adamantly staring straight ahead. She heard him chuckle and then his hands were on her waist and he had twisted her whole body around so that her back was now against the barrier and he stood in front of her, completely surrounding her once again.

 

“You’re so damn stubborn, it drives me insane.  _ You _ drive me insane,” he whispered quickly and then his lips found hers and she was so taken aback by his words that she didn’t react at first but then his tongue pushed past her lips and she finally moved her hands so that her fingers got lost in his hair. 

 

The air was cold and the city was loud but MJ heard nothing but their heavy breathing and felt the warmth that spread all over her body; from her toes to the tips of her ears. She kissed him deeply, cradling the back of his head as he moved it slightly every time their mouths separated. She slid her fingers down to his jaw and felt the muscles underneath them tense. He pulled back a bit so that their noses still touched but his eyes searched her own. 

 

“I don’t think I can wait until that weekend we want to plan,” he breathed out.

 

“Then don’t.”

 

“Okay, yeah, we have to go,” he stepped away from her and adjusted himself before he reached his hand out for her.

 

She laughed and placed her hand in his. They rushed downstairs and into his old apartment only to find that Ned had already left to spend the weekend with his parents. Peter excused him and MJ for not coming down for dessert but May waved them off with a knowing smile that made MJ’s cheeks redden.

 

“Can I talk to you before you go? Alone?” May asked MJ and Peter left to get a cab but not before hugging aunt May goodnight.

 

“I know Peter won’t tell me a thing and I don’t expect you to either but I am so glad all of you have reunited. It makes me feel at ease that he’s not completely alone,” she rubbed MJ’s arm caringly. “You’re good for him, you know that, right?”

 

MJ smiled. “I think he’s good for me, too,” she whispered.

 

They said their goodbyes and agreed to call to set up their lunch soon. As MJ walked down the stairs, she thought about why she would confess something like that to May. Was it to comfort her or was it something MJ actually believed in?

 

In the cab, Peter’s knee wouldn’t stop bouncing up and down and it made MJ laugh out loud before she placed her hand on top of it to stop him. They pulled up outside his building and he took her hand in his once again and pulled her inside. He looked back at her and chuckled before opening his door and stepping back to let her in.

 

His place was dark, just the light from the streetlamp outside illuminating the floor so she could see where she was stepping. “Leave it dark,” she told him as she heard the door close. She turned to face him and no seconds later, he was pulling her by her coat and his mouth found hers once again. She leaned her body against his and marvelled at how perfectly they molded together. 

 

As his fingers worked on unbuttoning her coat, her hands pulled on his sweater and he separated from the kiss and lifted his arms to allow her to remove it. She pushed her coat off her shoulders and let it fall to the ground and pulled him back to her; lips hungry, hands greedy.

 

They moved in unison, MJ walking backwards towards the stairs as she continued removing the rest of his clothes all the while kissing him frantically, sucking on his bottom lip. She held his face with both of her hands as she began to ascend the stairs, just so he could keep up. He followed in her footsteps, his hands on her hips but then somewhere along the way, he tripped and banged his knee on the railing. “Fuck!” He cursed and it only made MJ laugh softly before he reached her. “Shut up,” he murmured against her lips but she could feel his smile as she kissed him back gently. 

 

She didn’t even know how or when it happened but his hands suddenly held the back of her thighs as he carried her the rest of the way upstairs. She tightened her legs around him and couldn’t stop the moan that escaped from the back of her throat and into his mouth when she felt  _ him _ push against her. Her back met a wall and she leaned back into it and finally opened her eyes to find him already watching her intently. His eyes searched her cheeks, her nose, down to her lips and then down to the curve of her throat. Never in her life had she seen someone look at her with so much…  _ desire _ . It made every nerve inside her heat up in wanting; wanting more of him, of them.

 

She reached forward and began to unbutton his shirt, slowly, one by one. She could feel his eyes on her, the way his heavy breathing washed over her face. She got to the last button and then placed her hands on his stomach and  _ oh my god _ it felt like granite. Rock hard abs met her gentle touch and she dragged her hands up to his chest and over his shoulders, pushing his shirt off until it fell to the floor. 

 

Even in the dark, she could see the marks and bruises along his chest and arms. She furrowed her eyebrows and took her fingers to brush over them gently, wondering if they still hurt. 

 

“I take some defensive classes,” he explained. She leaned forward and kissed the small bruise on his chest softly before continuing her trail up to his neck. She heard him sigh and it spurred her on to think that she had this effect on him. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she motioned with her legs for him to put her down and when he did, she stepped away and walked towards the space that was his room.

 

Instead of the yellow light that graced downstairs, blue light from the moonlight shone through the huge window in Peter’s room. She knew he was right behind her and so she proceeded to remove her shirt, her back facing him. She swept her hair to one side and then bent down slightly to push her pants down her legs. She heard him move behind her, the ruffle of clothing and she imagined he was taking off his own pants.

 

She stood in just her bra and panties, staring at the wall above his bed. She suddenly grew nervous and she had no idea why. It wasn’t like this would be her first time.

 

But it was her first time with  _ him. _

 

His breath was the first thing she felt. He had moved so that he stood directly behind her, his chest brushing along her back. She relished back into the feeling of how she wanted him to hold her, completely invade her space and fill it up with everything that was him. As if he had read her mind, his fingertips lingered on her exposed waist before his palms slid around to her stomach. There was a pull deep in her belly at just the thought that his hands were so close to that area. 

 

“We can wait,” he whispered into her ear but the adrenaline that rushed in her veins told her that she really didn’t want to wait anymore. She pushed herself against him and he remained rigid but then relaxed along her curves. He began to leave feather-like kisses across her shoulder while his fingertips trailed her skin just above her panty-line. 

 

She placed her hands over his and then pushed them away before making her way to his bed. She sat down, facing him and she watched as he smirked, his eyes trailing from her long legs, up to her stomach, her chest and finally reaching her face. She bit her lip in response and began to slide back onto his bed, the sheets cooling her skin. 

 

When her back met the headboard, her eyes followed him as he walked towards her. The bed dipped once he climbed on it and her heart began beating rapidly as he got closer and closer. He hovered over her stomach so that he wasn’t  _ completely _ on top of her and she raised an eyebrow, questioning him. With a small pull at the corner of his lips, he dipped his head down and kissed her bare stomach, just above her navel. MJ’s mouth formed a small O and she felt her stomach tremble under his lips which only made him chuckle. He continued to place soft kisses all around her stomach, his tongue darting out here and there to taste her. 

 

She let her fingers dive into his hair and played with his curls, all the while guiding him to make his way up to her face. He followed her cue and trailed the tip of his nose along her skin, up to her chest until his lips met hers once again. He made sure to keep most of his weight off of her but she arched her back so that her stomach made contact with his anyway. 

 

He kissed her slowly but deep, their mouths opening so either could gain access. She felt his hand come up to cup her cheek and by just using his thumb, he lifted her chin and began to kiss down her throat. She bit her lip to contain the moans she so wanted to cry out. Her hands explored his shoulders and back, loving the way his toned muscles felt under her fingertips.

 

His mouth found their way back to hers and with a slight movement of his hips, she felt him hard against her core. “Oh god,” she whimpered and then moved her own hips to feel it again. Their lips were barely touching but their heavy breathing and small moans mixed in between them.

 

MJ had her eyes closed just so she could focus on the feel of him but when she opened them slowly, she found him looking at her so closely, her heart began to race for a whole other reason than the fact that they were basically dry humping. His eyes showed a combination of wanting - as if she was the only person in the world - and of so much care, she suddenly felt vulnerable. She knew this night was going to change something between them but in her hazy and lustful state of mind, she wasn’t sure exactly what.

 

When he kissed her again softly, neither of them closed their eyes, and MJ began to think back to what she had confessed earlier…

 

_ I think he’s good for me, too. _

 

“Condom,” she breathed out and he blinked once, twice, until he finally grasped what she had said.

 

“Right, yeah. Be right back,” he pecked her lips and then slid off the bed. She stared at his back before he disappeared into the bathroom and she let out a breath. She touched her stomach, the sensation of his lips still embedded on her skin. He came back after a few seconds and the moonlight shone across his body, shadowing the hard creases of his muscles. Even his major hard-on was visible in the semi-darkness. 

 

He tossed her the packet of condoms and she extended the train to find four more attached. She raised an eyebrow at him as he climbed back into his bed. “I mean, you’re getting lucky tonight but not  _ that _ lucky.”

 

He grinned at her. “I haven’t been inside you yet, so you might change your mind.”

 

She gaped at him. “What did you just say?”

 

“That you might. Change. Your mind,” he chuckled, pronouncing each word out slowly. She nudged him with her foot. “You know what I said so tell me.”

 

“Tell you what?” Now she was the one acting nonchalant.

 

“What I said,” he poked her softly by the ribs. 

 

“That you haven’t been inside me yet,” she blurted out in a whisper.

 

She watched as his eyes darken and a familiar pull below her stomach made her shift just a bit. 

 

“Do you want me to be?” He asked her and the question hung in the air. She was laying in his bed, half naked, holding not one, but five condoms in her hands and he was still asking for permission. 

 

Just when she thought she couldn’t like him any more than she already did.

 

She sat up and scooted closer to him so that she could place her chin on top of his shoulder. He had to turn his head to be able to look at her clearly. A playful smile rested on his lips and she felt her own pull up in a grin. She kissed his shoulder while placing the condoms in his hand, “What do you think?”

 

He looked down at his hands and placed the packets on the nightstand by his bed. He then snaked his arm around her waist and picked her up and set her down on his lap so that her legs wrapped around him. 

 

“How do you do that?” She whispered against his lips. 

 

With the position they were in, he had to slightly tilt his head back to look up at her. “Do what?”

 

“Pick me up like I weigh nothing,” she breathed out and then she couldn’t resist and placed a long and deep kiss on his lips. His tongue swept across her mouth to taste her and she easily complied, leaning her body towards his. His hands glided from where he held her at her hips and up her back, causing it to arch and press her chest against him. His finger found the clasp from her bra and with one swift pull, it came undone.

 

He leaned back a bit and let his gaze drop down as he slowly removed it and exposed her full chest to him. His tongue darted out to wet his lips and the simple act made her whole body tighten around him. She felt him hard under him and she knew that with just a small movement from her part, it would cause enough friction to make her never want to stop. 

 

“God, you’re beautiful,” he muttered and then looked back up at her. “Not just here, naked, on top of me. In every aspect. And I’m sorry it took me so long to notice.”

 

She smiled at him and ran her thumb across his bottom lip, which he kissed and then whispered, “Do you always talk so much before sex?”

 

He laughed and shook his head. “Not really. Do you?”

 

She shook her head, “But I think I’m starting to like it.”

 

With one last kiss, he turned them around so that she was laying back on the bed and he was on top of her. He moved his lips down to her neck, licking and sucking the spot just below her ear that made her gasp as her hands immediately flew to his boxers and she began to push them down frantically. She felt the vibrations of his chuckle on her skin before he pulled back and gently pushed her hands away. With a lift of his eyebrow, he reached for her panties and began to slowly move them down her legs. She was completely exposed to him now and he was still kneeling there in his boxers. 

 

“Your turn,” she smirked.

 

“Let me try something first,” he said and he almost sounded breathless.

 

With one hand, he placed it over her knee and then pushed it to the side, opening her legs and spreading her. She heard him take in a breath and she reached for his arms to pull him over her again. He positioned himself between her legs and he looked deep into her eyes before he slowly slid his hand down to her stomach, lower and lower, until…

 

“Oh,” she closed her eyes and marvelled at the feel of his fingers teasing her entrance and just like that, they were gone. She opened her eyes and watched him as he removed his boxers, releasing himself and she could finally see him bare. She couldn’t help but grin as she admired him. He really should feel proud of himself. 

 

“Stop smirking,” he told her and she glanced up from where she was staring to find him smirking himself.

 

“Remember those skills we talked about?”

 

“Yeah, what about them?” He had taken one of the condoms from the bedside table and was opening it with his teeth. He took the wrapper out and was about to put it on when MJ stopped him.

 

“Let me put it on you,” she murmured.

 

“No offense, MJ,” he breathed out as he rolled the condom onto himself, “but I’ve been waiting for this for a long time and having you touch me  _ there _ won’t make me hold out.”

 

She loved it. She loved that she had that much of an impact of him. That even with a small touch from her, he can come undone. 

 

He placed himself between her legs again and laid his body to rest on top of hers but still keeping his weight off her. His arms rested on either side of her head while his thumbs caressed her temples. Going against what he had told her, MJ reached down between them and wrapped her hand around his length which only caused him to drop his head down onto her shoulder and let out a low moan. 

 

“What are you doing?” He asked, his voice deep and raspy, making her lower belly tighten in response. 

 

“Technically I’m not touching you,” she whispered back as she positioned him right at her entrance. She held her breath and slid her hands up his back, stopping at his shoulders.

 

He kept his head down but his cheek rested against hers and she could feel his warm breath along her ear and down her neck. She turned her face just a bit and began to leave wet kisses on his cheek, below his ear, urging him.

 

Finally, he began to move and she felt him push inside her slowly, carefully, letting her adjust around him. He pulled out and moved in again, repeating the same movements, letting himself push in deeper every time. 

 

MJ closed her eyes, completely lost in the sensation that was him moving in and out of her; of the way his body slid on top of hers, already damp with sweat. He was moving so frustratingly slow, it was too intense, too real. 

 

He was all the way in but he’d stopped and she lifted her hips to get him moving again but all she heard was him whisper, “Look at me.”

 

Her eyes fluttered open and met with his dark ones. Their noses barely touched and he whispered, “Look at me,” again before he shifted out and in her, again and again, increasing his pace. She moaned loudly and he captured it with a deep kiss, mixing his groan with hers. She wrapped her legs around him tightly, her hands on his thighs to guide him. He took one of her hands and laced his fingers with hers before he pressed it down on the bed above her head. He lifted himself higher and looked down to where his body met with hers and it was hot; watching him watch them. He was biting his lip, brow furrowed, completely in focus but yet lost in the feel of her.

 

With her other hand, she placed it over his chest and she could feel his heart thrumming hard against his ribs, matching her own. He rolled his hips and she cried out in pleasure from the shift in position, allowing him to go in deeper, reaching that tender spot that made every nerve in her body feel like they were on fire. 

 

“Shit, you feel so good,” he half-moaned, half-whispered. He dropped back down to kiss her, tongue meeting hers while still maintaining his rhythm. “Tell me when,” he told her but she was already nodding, understanding what he was asking her.

 

This was so different on another level. Never had she felt this intimate with another person. He kept his eyes transfixed on hers, dropping occasionally to look down at her mouth, to hear her moans and whimpers every time he pulled out and pushed back into her.

 

“Faster,” she barely whispered, “I’m close.”

 

Without a word, he obeyed her pleas and lifted himself so that he was on his knees. His hands held onto her hips, carrying her weight as he drove into her, over and over again, hitting that perfect place that made her dizzy and her toes to curl with pleasure. She let herself moan out loudly, letting his name roll off her tongue repeatedly. Her hands flew to grip his as her legs began to shake and she knew that her whole body will shatter soon.

 

“Peter..” she whimpered and he responded with a “I know. Let go, MJ.”

 

And so she did. Her senses seemed to heighten; she could hear everything and nothing at the same time and when she shut her eyes, bright spots clouded her sight. Distantly, she heard Peter curse under his breath before he stilled. 

 

As she came back down from her high, she felt him kiss her softly up her neck, her jaw, the corners of her lips. She kissed him back lazily and finally opened her eyes. Droplets of sweat covered his forehead and had made his curls wet. She hated how amazing he looked after sex.

 

“Questions? Concerns?” He muttered against her lips and she let out a shaky laugh.

 

“That was…” she began.

 

“Different? Nothing you’ve experienced before?” He finished for her. He used his fingers to gently push back her hair away from her face. 

 

“Yeah,” she whispered.

 

He gave her a small smile. “Me too.” 

 

There was something there in the way he gazed down at her, at the way he kept touching her face as if she might break. She could practically see his mind thinking a million thoughts just like hers.

 

_ What if they didn’t have to wait to officially call this what it actually is? What if they didn’t have to hide from their friends and family anymore? _

 

_ What if they could actually make this work? _

 

“I should get cleaned up,” he said before kissing her cheek and sliding off of her.

 

She watched his silhouette walk in the direction of the bathroom. The moon had disappeared so that his room was now completely covered in darkness. Distant thunder reached her ears.

 

MJ stretched and moaned for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. Her body was satisfyingly exhausted and her core ached in all the right places. She sat up and waited for her eyes to adjust before she looked for her underwear. She put them on and then spotted a white shirt that slung over the chair by his desk. She pulled it on and despite her height, it still reached just above her knees.

 

“I hope you’re staying.”

 

He had come out of the bathroom and was staring at her where she stood. He had put on a new pair of boxers but remained shirtless. 

 

MJ nodded. “I can always sleep on the couch downstairs, though.”

 

He chuckled as he reached for her hand and pulled her to bed with him. They laid down so that they faced each other. His hand found her waist and tugged at it until she finally scooted closer to him. 

 

“You look good severely fucked,” he told her and she gasped, covering his mouth with her hand. 

 

“You do  _ not _ say that!” She spat out before laughing.

 

“Why not?” His question came out muffled by her hand.

 

“It’s just not something Peter Parker says,” she replied as she removed her hand.

 

He tickled her ribs. “High school Peter didn’t say that. We’re not kids anymore, MJ.”

 

“I know. I just never expected to hear that sentence come out of your mouth,” she told him. 

 

“Well I’m sorry for my rudeness,” he mumbled before pressing his mouth on hers.

 

“Now  _ that _ sounds more familiar,” she grinned.

 

They kissed for several more seconds; quick chaste kisses before he cuddled even closer to her, wrapping his arm around her waist. He had his eyes half-closed and looked like he was ready to fall asleep. He looked so serene and at ease, it warmed MJ’s chest.

 

“You want to know what May told me today?” She whispered to him but she didn’t expect a reply.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“That I was good for you.” His eyes had closed completely but a big smile formed on his lips. MJ continued, “I told her you were good for me, too.”

 

At that, his eyes fluttered open and he focused on her. MJ feared he would freak out and turn away but instead, he kissed her again, more forcefully. He pulled back and kissed her cheek before whispering into her ear, “You’re way more than just good for me, MJ.”

 

She smiled and then turned so that he spooned her from behind. Their legs intertwined under the sheets and his chest aligned with her back so perfectly, it made her shiver. She felt him kiss her neck before he tightened his arm around her. His other hand found hers over her head and linked their fingers together.

 

MJ stared out his window, and as Peter’s breathing grew heavier with sleep, the sound of the rain hitting the glass outside became louder. Flashes of lightning made it seem like the sky was taking pictures of them in his bed. 

 

She closed her eyes and remembered back to the roof when she had craved to have his arms around her and now here he was, completely filling her body, her mind and possibly, and dangerously, her heart.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AGAIN! I appreciate all of you for waiting for this chapter and even more important, for keeping up with this story in general. It may not be the best out there but I fucking love writing it.. anyway, what did you guys think??
> 
> I want to explain a bit more about why I wrote it the way I did and a bit of more context behind it but if you don't want to read all that, that's understandable so thank you so much for reading! I love ya! -N
> 
> P.S.:  
> So... smut.
> 
> Lmao the word has always had a diverse connotation but one thing I've always wanted to show in my writing is that smut doesn't have to be cringy and that's mostly why I took a long time in writing this chapter because I didn't want the readers to read it and have to look away and groan in a bad way (it's happened to me before lol) i also wanted to show how hooking up can be awkward at times bc that's the reality of it sometimes and of course, peter and mj have always had this cute and funny banter with them so i wanted to keep it intimate and yet playful between them and i hope i did a good job of that lol
> 
> also, their first time... as cliche as it is, i wanted their first time to be as intimate and sexy and playful to sort of show how it's a big deal for both of them even though we only read it in MJ's pov. we all know petermj are endgame so i wanted this part of their relationship to be pivotal to how they're relationship carries on.  
> dw, there will be more sexy and fun times coming lol the story isn't over yet..
> 
> THANK YOU for reading!  
> -N


	12. So Many Questions - Peter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long (again) in posting this! I've noticed that I'm starting to make my chapters longer than how they started and I love it but that just means it'll take me longer to post.
> 
> The response to the previous chapter was unbelievable! I'm so happy all of you liked it and just know that even if I don't reply, I appreciate every single comment. Thank you so much!
> 
> -N xx

Peter woke up confused. He was sure he had gotten enough sleep and yet it was still dark outside. He rubbed his eyes and then looked at his watch.

 

9:17 am.

 

_Hmm, weird._

 

Then, thunder and lightning shook him from his groggy state and he realized that it was dark outside because of the storm. Memories from last night began to resurface and Peter grinned as he turned around and reached out with his hand to look for MJ’s form only to find her side empty.

 

He sat up and looked around and his first thought was that she had left. He couldn’t exactly blame her; it wasn’t like she was obligated to stay but he still felt a sharp poke in his chest when he looked over at her empty space.

 

Something had changed between them last night. Whether it was good or bad, Peter had yet to figure that out. All he knew was that if he thought it was hard to _not_ think of her on a daily basis, after last night, it was going to be impossible. He had never done something so intimate with someone before and the worst part? He wanted _more._

 

There was some movement going on on the stairs and MJ appeared out of the corner. She was holding a steaming cup in each hand and walking carefully towards the bed. Peter couldn’t help the big grin that formed on his lips as he sat up a bit straighter. MJ smiled back as she handed him his cup and then sat down slowly next to him so that she was facing the headboard.

 

“Good morning,” Peter told her. It pleased him to see that she was still wearing his shirt. It was a sight he could definitely get used to. He pointed down at his cup, “What is it?”

 

“Morning,” MJ replied. “The only thing you have is tea so I hope it’s okay that I used the last two packets.”

 

Peter shrugged as he took a cautious sip of his tea. “I have to go and restock on everything anyway.” He could feel her gaze on him and he took his time before glancing up at her. “What?”

 

She pulled her knees up and brought her cup close to her chest so that she could lean forward and rest her cheek on top of her knees. She looked different- in a good way. She usually kept her stance rigid, her face poised; she was smiling now, her body relaxed in his bed. “I’ve never stayed over at a guy’s before. After… you know.” Peter grinned and nodded before she continued, “It was usually the whole ‘let’s do what we came here to do and then see ya!’ type of thing. I never actually _wanted_ to spend the night.”

 

“Did you want to spend it here last night?” Peter asked quickly, worried that he had somehow forced her to stay. But then she nodded and his uneasiness faded away. “I’ve never stayed the night before, either. Last night was a first for me.”

 

“I hope the _whole_ night wasn’t a first,” she smirked before taking a small sip of her tea.

 

Peter chuckled as he put his own cup down on the nightstand and faced her again. “You _know_ it wasn’t. Just the cuddling part was new for me. I liked it, it was nice.”

 

MJ nodded in agreement and just stared back at him, lost in thought. The heavy question hung in the air between them: _What now?_

 

This was clearly unmarked territory for the both of them but before Peter could even speak his thoughts, MJ moved to put her cup down next to his and then shimmied herself below the covers next to him. Peter layed back down on his pillow and hesitated a bit until he thought, _fuck it_ and placed his arm under her head. She scooted closer to him, placing her cheek on his shoulder and he felt her legs overlap his so that one rested on top of the other. He curled his arm around her so that his hand settled along the curve of her waist.

 

“How many people have you been with, Pete?”

 

The question caught him off guard but not as much as the fact that she had just called him ‘Pete’ and not ‘Parker’ or ‘loser’.

 

“Uh, sexually? Three, not including you. Relationship-wise? One,” he told her. “You?”

 

He felt her whole body shake as she laughed quietly next to him. “I’ve been with a couple more than you. Never really been in a relationship. I mean I’ve gone on dates and stuff but it never got too serious.”

 

Peter understood and in response he trailed the tips of his fingers along her arm, causing goosebumps to appear on her skin. Her own hand snaked around his torso while she buried her face into the crook of his neck. She placed soft kisses just below his ear and he tightened his hold on her as he closed his eyes.

 

“If you met someone and they offered to sleep with you, would you do it?”

 

Peter opened one eye to look down at her questioningly. “What? Like a hooker?”

 

She laughed, “You know what I mean. Are we allowed to see other people?”

 

He kept his eyes closed but his heightened senses let him know that she was peering up at him, waiting.

 

_Did he want to see other people?_

 

He thought about last night, how there was a shift in whatever was going on between them. He thought about how happy May was to see her again. He thought about their first kiss and the flirty touches. He thought about he couldn’t stop _thinking_ about her every damn second… but there was a reason she was asking.

 

“Do _you_ want to see other people?” He asked.

 

“We never really established that,” she replied, not really answering the question. He felt her shift next to him and so he opened his eyes to find her leaning on her elbow, watching him, her messy but yet perfect curls cascading down her shoulder. “It could happen, you know? We’re not the only people in the world.”

 

Peter furrowed his eyebrows. She had a point but for him, there really was no other person in the world who drove him as crazy as she did. Who invaded his mind and body even in his sleep. Who challenged him in the way he saw things and who he admired to be so relentless and independent.

 

He sat up and leaned back against the headboard before reaching for her hand and pulling her to him. She grinned as she moved to sit on top of him, straddling him. His body betrayed him as he felt her _there_ and he was hard in an instant. She wiggled in his lap causing him to groan and for her to laugh softly in response. He let his hands glide up her thighs and under _his_ shirt that she was wearing and held her waist.

 

The shirt hung loosely from one of her shoulders, exposing her collarbone. He leaned forward and pressed his lips over a dark red spot right above her chest which he vividly remembered leaving from last night. Her fingers were in his hair, pulling at his curls, urging him to keep going. He swept his tongue along her collarbone and up to her neck where he kissed her softly, tasting her. She let out a soft moan and to anyone else, it might’ve been inaudible but because of Peter’s heightened senses, her shaky breathing was loud in his ears; he could hear every time her tongue peeked out to brush her lips.

 

He pulled back to look at her. He had to tilt his head back a bit to be able to see her expression. Her eyes were closed, her mouth parted to help her breathe.

 

“What do _you_ want, MJ?” He whispered, his lips moving against hers.

 

Her eyes fluttered open slowly, but then she smiled when she saw him gazing at her. Her fingers massaged the back of his head soothingly, making a shiver ran down his spine. “I want whatever you want, Peter,” she breathed out before leaning back and reaching for the hem of the shirt and pulling it over head.

 

Every nerve-ending in his body ignited at the sight of her. He steadied his shaky hand before placing it on her stomach. She watched his hand as it traveled up her soft skin, between her breasts and up to her neck only to curl around it, cradling the back of her head. He pulled her towards him and kissed her deeply, their teeth clashing as she leaned her body flush against his. His tongue swept over her lips and then dived into her mouth the second the opened it to let him in. He consumed her moans, mixing it with his heavy breathing and in a frantic state, they had somehow removed the rest of their clothes.

 

Parting from their kiss, she reached for the packet of condoms on the nightstand and ripped one off before tearing the foil off with her teeth. She moved down his legs and with her heated eyes glued on his, he waited expectantly for what was about to happen next.

 

Peter sat up on his elbows to get a better view and he braced himself for her touch, and when it came, he had to do everything in his power not to shatter right on the spot. Her cold hand was a welcoming feeling compared to the intense warmth he felt down there. Her hand moved up and down a few times and he let out a deep moan, the feeling so unreal and so intense he didn’t know where he found the strength to come apart right at her fingertips.

 

She rolled the condom down on him and then crawled onto his lap, positioning herself just above him. Peter held his breath as he waited for that intense moment when their bodies become one. His hands found hers and their fingers intertwined and he squeezed them reassuringly, letting her know to take her time. Looking intently down at him, she placed their joined hands on her hips and slowly pushed herself down on him. Her lips parted to release a low moan as she adjusted herself to his length.

 

“Oh fuck,” Peter exhaled, the sensation of her warmth around him and the look of pure pleasure on her face completely overwhelming him. His blood drummed in his ears, the beating of his heart going so fast, he thought it would burst right through his chest.

 

Once he was fully inside her, she leaned down so that their bodies touched, skin to skin and she planted a soft kiss on his lips. He breathed her in, her scent mixed with his, and released her hands so that he could slide his own up her bare back, coaxing her to arch her body, pressing even more against his.

 

Then she began to move. Her hips lifted a fraction before coming back down and then she lifted herself higher, increasing her pace. Peter held her close to him, pushing up on his legs to meet her movements.

 

Still buried inside her, he wrapped his arm tightly around her waist and flipped them so that she was now on her back, him on top of her, hips thrusting in and out of her. He grinned at the shocked expression on her face before leaning down to crash his mouth on hers. He swept his tongue across her lips, asking for entranced and when she conceded, he pushed harder in her, causing her moan to be swallowed by his kiss.

 

With every moan and every whisper of how good she felt, the roll of his hips against her and the feather-like kiss he left along her neck and shoulder, he tried to show her the words he couldn’t confess earlier: _Why would he want anybody else when he can have her?_

 

***

 

“Good morning!” Peter chirped as he pulled open the door widely and stepped into the lab.

 

After the _physical_ events that had happened hours earlier, Peter had noticed several missed texts and phone calls from Ned, telling him that Ferguson had offered the lab to them to keep working on their thesis. MJ had left, having also some urgent messages from Linda.

 

Ned peeked up from the microscope he was using to examine who knows what. He raised an eyebrow at Peter, “Dude. It’s two in the afternoon.”

 

Peter paused as he put on his lab coat. “Oh. Right, sorry,” he chuckled.

 

“What has you in such a good mood?” He asked and returned back to the microscope.

 

Peter shrugged and fixed the collar of his coat. “It’s such a great day, you know?”

 

Ned’s head snapped up again as he mouthed, ‘ _What the fuck?’_ to himself. He glanced out of the high windows placed in the room and saw that it was still raining from when he came in earlier. “There’s a storm outside and we’re here, working, on a Sunday. _That’s_ what you call a great day?” But before Peter had a chance to answer, Ned’s eyes got wide as he pieced two and two together. “You got _laid_!”

 

“Wh-what?” Peter stuttered. He approached Ned and then busied himself with opening his backpack and taking out his laptop.

 

“It’s all over your face!” He pointed at him. “Oh, man. That’s great. Wait, how does that work, though?”

 

“How does _what_ work?”

 

“You know… since you’re all... radioactive,” Ned explained.

 

Peter looked across the table at Ned. He couldn’t believe what his best friend was asking him. He sighed loudly, “I’m not having this conversation with you.”

 

“Oh come _on!_ Don’t think about is as your best friend asking! Think about it as a very curious scientist asking… who is also your best friend.”

 

“If I tell you, will you drop it?”

 

Ned nodded.

 

“Condoms,” Peter stated.

 

“So you _are_ radioactive everywhere!” Ned gasped.

 

“What? No! I don’t know! But why am I going to risk it?” Peter told him as he picked up his laptop and headed over to the door that separated the adjacent room.

 

“Have you ever tried to test-”

 

“ _No, Ned!_ ” Peter shouted over his shoulder.

 

“Okay, okay,” Ned relented from behind him.

 

Peter pulled out his school’s ID from his pocket and swiped it on the keypad next to the door. He pressed the number key that Ferguson had shared with them to give them access. The light turned green and the _click_ of the lock let them know the door was ready to open.

 

“So… _did_ you get laid?”

 

“Oh my god, Ned,” Peter laughed and shook his head as he entered the dimly lit room.

 

It was cluttered. Extra desks and chairs aligned one wall while science equipment overwhelmed the shelves on the opposing wall. In the center, a lit table housed the species Ned and Peter were to observe, which was enclosed in its container. Small monitors at the head of the table recorded its activities, which were all neutral.

 

“Alright, little guy. Good to see you again,” Peter voiced as he set his laptop down on the table.

 

Ned tapped on the glass of the container but the species remained motionless. “Do you think it’s moved since the last time?”

 

“Don’t know. I’ll check the monitors.”

 

The first time they got to see the blob, it maneuvered around the container, like floating liquid getting to know its surroundings. But after a few hours of Ferguson, Peter, and Ned discussing its qualities, it began to still.

 

“Nothing new. I wonder why it sort of shut down on us?”

 

“Maybe it’s dying,” Ned shrugged.

 

Peter leaned down to peer closely at the substance. Its surface still moved and glistened like black water. “Dying of what, though? How does it survive?”

 

“Do you think we should feed it?”

 

“Nah,” Peter replied. He pulled up a chair and sat down in front of his laptop. “It doesn’t have any organs or limbs for it to need any kind of nutrients to survive. Maybe it’s just homesick.”

 

“Seems kind of pointless for us to spend _hours_ observing it when it’s doing absolutely _nothing._ You know, this isn’t what I expected when I signed up for this,” Ned told him as he took a seat across Peter.

 

“We never expected to be grading papers when assisting one of the best professors in Columbia but here we are,” Peter grinned and pulled his laptop close to him.

 

Ned had brought his own backpack with him and had it perched on the table where he looked inside it until he found what he was looking for. They both began to work on their own things, occasionally stealing a glance at the canister between them.

 

“Have you thought of any new gadgets to upgrade for the suit?” Ned asked without looking up from his tablet.

 

“Actually, yeah,” Peter stopped typing to look over at Ned. “You know how tripwires work, right?”

 

Ned nodded and then moved his index and middle finger along the table to symbolize someone walking and then making an explosion noise, followed by his hands showing a combustion.

 

Peter laughed and nodded, “Exactly. I sort of want to make the same thing but with webs and lasers. Like I’d just throw one at a wall, it’ll stick and whoever passes the laser beam, gets pulled back and secured to the wall with webs.”

 

Ned was already gasping before Peter could finish. “That would be totally awesome. You could even make the laser beam super thin so it’s not visible but still there.”

 

“It’s a concept! I’m still trying to figure out how to build it and make it easy to carry around in the suit,” Peter shrugged. “Speaking of suits, wanna see some designs I crafted for a new one?”

 

Peter placed his laptop in between them so that they both had a good view of the screen. Once he found the folder where he kept all of his plans, he pulled up a schematic for a new suit.

 

A spidey mask popped up on the screen. The fabric was sketched out in black ink with the eyes highlighted in a bright neon white. Different notes were written to the side with smaller pictures of multiple materials.

 

“Crap, that’s not what I was trying to show you. Give me a second,” he told Ned as he moved the cursor to close down the window.

 

“Peter, wait!”

 

Peter froze and looked up at Ned, who was staring at the canister with eyes as wide as coins. Peter followed his gaze and straightened up in his seat when he saw that the _thing_ was now moving again but it seemed to be leaning towards the end of the canister, almost like as if it was staring at the laptop’s screen.

 

Peter tilted the screen down so it was out of view and the alien retreated back. He tilted the screen back up and the blob instantly pressed itself against the glass. “Guess Spider-Man has a new fan.”

 

“That’s crazy,” Ned released in a breath. “What? Do you think it recognizes you?”

 

“From where? I’ve never encountered something like _it_ before. That’s so strange,” Peter murmured before closing his laptop completely. The species retreated back again but it was moving, just like it did before it went completely still. Peter stared at the thing for a while, trying to figure out what exactly triggered it to wake. “Ferguson mentioned it was being studied in San Francisco, right?” Ned nodded. “Then why did they stop?”

 

Ned shrugged. “Maybe they couldn’t figure it out?”

 

“And we can? I don’t understand it,” Peter scratched the back of his head. He looked around the lab for nothing in particular. He racked his brain for any type of information that he’s learned before in school or even when working with Tony. He stared at an old ripped poster that hung off the wall with a picture of a crocodile with its mouth wide open and a bird standing inside his mouth, unworried. At the bottom, a small sentence was put in bold:

 

_There’s no ‘i’ in ‘team’._

 

Cheesy.

 

And then it hit him.

 

He looked down at the canister where the alien swayed this way and that, extending itself like slime, having no direction of its bearings. Peter got closer and when Ned asked him what he was doing, Peter replied, “It needs something or _someone_ to survive, Ned. Or maybe it’s fine on its own but it needs a physical type of entity to create its form.”

 

Ned leaned down and got closer as well so that his face became obscured as Peter looked at him through the canister. “Like a symbiotic relationship! Oh, man! Wait until we tell Ferguson!”

 

“What if it’s a parasite?” Peter whispered to himself as he tapped on the glass and the alien seemed to screech. “What happens if it were to attach itself to someone? I know _it_ benefits from it but what about the host?”

 

“It could be mutualistic in a way,” Ned added. “Take someone who’s paralytic… they could be able to move their hands or arms again.”

 

“And make them stronger,” Peter continued as his mind raced with the possibilities. And then he shook his head and blinked repeatedly before stepping away from the table. He wasn’t sure where that thought had come from. He was strong already and he never really needed to gain any more strength.

 

In that instant, his phone began to ring from inside his pocket. He took it out and released a breath when MJ’s name popped up on his phone screen. “Hello?” He answered. Ned narrowed his eyes at him so Peter turned the other way.

 

“Hey, Peter. Listen, I don’t know if you’re still busy but I bought some food and they gave me twice the amount by mistake so I thought I’d be nice enough to share so maybe… come over?”

 

“Uh, yeah. That sounds awesome! Let me just finish up here and I’ll head over,” he replied.

 

“Cool. I’ll text you my address,” she stated before saying goodbye and hanging up.

 

Peter closed his phone and turned to find Ned still narrowing his eyes at him, except this time, he was smirking. “What?”

 

“Where are you ‘ _heading over_ ’ to?” He asked.

 

Peter grabbed his laptop, “Uh, MJ’s.”

 

It wasn’t a complete lie. He really was going over to her place.

 

“Oh, really?” Ned’s face relaxed. “What for?”

 

“She, um… wanted me to look at… her article before she publishes,” Peter pushed through the excuse.

 

“Why can’t she just email it to you?”

 

_Damn it._

 

“Because… um...” Peter stuttered. “Her laptop broke down. That’s why I’m going, too! To you know… fix it?”

 

Ned nodded, “That makes sense. Could be her RAM, just make sure to-”

 

“Check the battery first. Yeap, got it,” Peter chuckled. “Are you going to be fine?”

 

Ned waved him off. “I’m probably going to leave soon, anyway. Seeing this blob come alive creeped me out.”

 

***

 

He stood outside her apartment door and knocked three times before stepping back to wait. Her door opened and there stood MJ, in oversized sweatpants and an old Midtown gym shirt. He felt that familiar pull he always felt every time he was near her but given the past events of the last 24 hours, it felt stronger this time.

 

Peter cleared his throat. “Hey.”

 

“Hey,” she smiled and then opened the door a bit more wider to let him in.

 

Her place was smaller than his; where his was two floors, hers was only one. The entrance spanned out to the living room which only had one small couch and a television set in front of it. Several newspapers lay scattered on top of a coffee table that sat in between. The kitchen had a small island like his, with high chairs all around. A big spacious window overlooked the city and he could see a balcony just outside, all you had to do was climb out the window. To his right, a huge window frame with cascading glass hung from the ceiling, separating the rest of her apartment to her bedroom. He stared at her bed for a bit longer than usual and she seemed to take notice.

 

“Don’t get your hopes up,” she told him as she closed the door and walked past him to the kitchen. “I asked you here for food.”

 

“And that’s what I’m here for,” Peter smirked and followed her. “What’s for dinner?”

 

“Italian. Linda recommended me this place a few blocks down. They must be pretty good because they were fucking _packed_.” She opened a few plastic bags that were sitting on the counter and took out two take out boxes. “Chicken marinara or ravioli?”

 

Peter bit his lip as his stomach grumbled in excitement. “What kind of ravioli?”

 

“Cheese.”

 

“I’ll take it,” he reached out for the plate.

 

MJ handed it over and sat down next to him. Peter took off his sweater and stretched out his back before he got comfortable and began to eat.

 

“How’s your thesis going?” MJ asked as she cut into her chicken.

 

“Uh, we sort of had a breakthrough actually.”

 

“Oh, yeah?”

 

Peter nodded as he chewed. “I think Ned and I figured out how it survives but I’m not sure if what it is, is a good thing or not.”

 

“So it’s like an actual living thing,” MJ asked.

 

“An organism of some kind, yeah. I just think Ferguson knows more about it than he lets on.” He reached over to her plate to take a piece of the chicken which earned him a light shove from her foot on his leg.

 

“Why put you and Ned up to it for no reason, then?” She asked as he took one of her ravioli as revenge.

 

Peter shrugged. “I know he means well. I _thought_ he did but he’s been acting unnatural for the past couple of days.”

 

“So he’s not always so creepy as the day I met him?” MJ laughed softly.

 

“No. _That_ was shocking. But maybe I’m just being paranoid.”

 

They stayed silent as they continued to eat but Peter could sense that MJ wanted to say something. He didn’t question her, knowing full well she’ll speak when she’s ready.

 

“So, yesterday? Before dinner with May?” She stared down at her chicken, moving it around with her fork. “I felt like someone was following me home from work. It was just a feeling though and I’m sure it was nothing. I mean, Bart wouldn’t be fucking stupid to have me ambushed, right?”

 

Peter was gripping his fork so tightly, it was starting to bend. The thought of someone following MJ home put him on edge. He relaxed his hand and fixed the fork before MJ noticed. “No but he _would_ have you followed to see that you haven’t found anything. MJ, this is insane! This is very dangerous-”

 

“I _know_ how dangerous this is, Peter. But _someone_ has to do something about it. I can’t go to the police because even they can be involved.”

 

“Then hire a detective or a P.I.-”

 

MJ scoffed, “Might as well hire Spider-Man.”

 

Peter put his fork down. “At this point, that might not be a bad idea.”

 

“I can take care of myself,” MJ stated sternly, looking him dead in the eye as she spoke.

 

“And I don’t doubt that,” he spoke softly, “but you need to be careful.”

 

She pursed her lips as she stood up suddenly and closed her take out box. She walked away and threw it in the trash before walking up next to him and pointing at his dinner, “You done?”

 

“Don’t be like that,” he rolled his eyes. He wrapped his arm around her back, pulling her closer so that she had to lean on his side. She towered over him since he was still sitting down and so he tilted his head back to be able to look up at her. “This is me caring.”

 

She sighed and gave him a small smile. Her fingers ran through his hair as she spoke, “I’m sorry. I guess I- I’m just not used to someone caring.”

 

“Then get used to it,” he simply replied.

 

He saw something pass in her eyes but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was. It saddened him to know that she thought not a lot of people cared for her. He promised himself to make sure to let her know that she is worth caring for. That all he wants is for her to be safe… even if it meant from him.

 

She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug so that his head rested on her chest. His own arms were wrapped around her waist when he heard her whisper a small, “Thank you.”

 

Once she began to pull back, he held her fast to him, shaking his head, “Wait, no. Just a bit longer,” he murmured as he nuzzled her chest, causing her to laugh and eventually shove him off.

 

“You’re such an idiot!” She laughed as she walked away.

 

Peter stood from his seat and rushed after her. He pulled on the waistband of her sweatpants so that she spun around, her body colliding with his. She grinned up at him, her hands gripping onto his arms. “That’s _your_ fault.”

 

“How is that my fault?” She chuckled.

 

“I told you,” Peter murmured as he leaned down slowly, “you drive me insane.”

 

His lips met hers and they both hummed with the familiarity of their mouths against each other. Peter dropped his hand to her lower back, pressing her flush against him while his other hand cradled the back of her neck, completely embracing her. She took the initiative as her tongue swept over his lips so softly, he thought he had imagined it. He opened his mouth and his tongue met hers, making the kiss deeper, more frantic and desperate as if they couldn’t get enough.

 

His back pocket began to vibrate but he ignored it just as MJ’s hand dropped down to the hem of his shirt and began to pull it up. He leaned back to help her remove his shirt, tossing it on the ground at their feet, and crashed his lips back on hers. His phone rang again and he groaned against her mouth.

 

“Just tell whoever it is that you’re busy,” she whispered breathlessly, her lips moving to kiss his cheek, down his jawline and neck. Peter pulled out his phone and he froze once he saw the dozens of messages from Ned. “What is it?” MJ asked when she felt him tense up.

 

“It’s Ned. He’s sent a bunch of ‘SOS’ texts.” They were still holding each other but their focus was on the phone.

 

“Call him.”

 

Just when Peter was about to, Ned’s face popped up on his screen and he immediately answered. “Ned? Are you okay?”

 

“I’m fine but everything else isn’t!” He sounded out of breath and Peter could hear the honks of cars in the distance.

 

“Wait, Ned, slow down. What do you mean?” Peter looked down at MJ, who stared right back at him, worry in her eyes as her teeth chewed on her bottom lip from nerves.

 

“I was leaving when I noticed that I had left my ID in the lab. When I went back, the door to the room wasn’t fully closed and I _promise_ you, Peter, I locked it before I left.”

 

“Ned, what are you-”

 

“It’s gone, Peter. Someone stole the _symbiote_.”


	13. The Calm... - Peter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is in Peter's POV as well. I know I've been going back and forth between their POV's but I felt like this chapter would be better in his POV.
> 
> Enjoy! xx
> 
> -N

“... is to believed to have been stolen from the university. The last student who claimed to have been the last one in the lab ensured that he had locked the door to the secure room inside and according to records, his statement is backed up. No word has surfaced from the professor involved in this project and he is now a prime suspect in the theft of a dangerous alien species. More news to come later…”

 

Ned chewed the sub he had picked up on his way to Peter’s place in the kitchen as he watched the news report on Peter’s television. It had been several days since the symbiote was ‘ _ stolen _ ’ from the lab and the investigation was still open. No one had heard from Dr. Ferguson and after hours and hours of endless interrogation, Ned and Peter were finally cleared to go. All of their collective data was taken as part of the investigation, but Ned had kept a backup of everything in a flashdrive in his dorm. 

 

“Do they really think Ferguson was the one who stole it?”

 

“ _ What the fuck!” _ Ned jumped from his seat, clutching at his chest. Peter was leaning against the kitchen counter in his Spider-Man suit, his mask off, his eyebrow lifted in confusion at Ned. “Where the  _ hell _ did you come from?!”

 

Peter merely pointed up to let Ned know he came in through the upstairs window. 

 

“Why didn’t you just come in through the front door?” Ned asked. Peter opened his arms, indicating his suit, as he made his way to the refrigerator. He opened the fridge and pulled out sliced turkey, cheese, pickles, spinach, mayo and mustard and turned to set it all down on the kitchen island. He then webbed the refrigerator door closed. “What about the change of clothes you keep on the roof?”

 

“Pigeons have marked their territory all over it, therefore, the window.” He prepared himself a quick sandwich and stuffed his face with it. It only took two to three bites for him to finish before he began to make himself a second one.

 

Ned sat back down on the stool. “So did you find anything about Ferguson?”

 

Peter shook his head, his damp curls shaking against his forehead. “His apartment has been cleaned out. He lives in a pretty nasty area. These two crooks were beating the crap out of this guy just outside his window. That’s how I got this,” he pointed at his left bicep where a deep gash was still bleeding. Peter quickly webbed it down with a  _ hiss _ to stop the bleeding. “I don’t think he could’ve taken it.”

 

“You’re still stuck on the theory that the  _ thing _ just opened the container and  _ left _ ? On its own?” Ned stole a pickle from the jar.

 

“Think about it Ned,” Peter began, his mouth full so that his words came out muffled. “This thing is  _ alien _ , an actual living organism. We both saw how it reacted towards the image of the mask. I think- I think it recognized it. If the symbiote actually needs a host in order to survive then I think that’s why it escaped.”

 

“Then why has Ferguson disappeared?”

 

Peter didn’t reply right away. Truthfully, he had no answer to Ned’s question. He had thought about it ever since they tried to contact Dr. Ferguson the night the symbiote was gone. “Maybe he’s scared.”

 

“With that thing on the loose, I think we all should be,” Ned replied.

 

They stayed silent as they both continued to watch the news. Peter knew the symbiote could be dangerous, with or without no host. He could  _ sense _ it. He had to figure out where it was or with who and stop it before it harmed anyone. 

 

“You’re actually going to take a vacation?” Ned asked.

 

“It’s not a vacation. Just a weekend trip. Sorta.” Peter looked away to put all the ingredients he had taken out back into the fridge. He wasn’t really leaving his apartment this weekend as Ned thought. Him and MJ thought it would be easier - and cheaper - to just stay in for the weekend. Spend time together. Alone. They would just tell everyone else they were away so they wouldn’t be bothered by phone calls or visits but it still didn’t take away the aching guilt in Peter’s chest of having to lie to his best friend,  _ again _ .

 

“I think it’s a good idea,” Ned shrugged. “I don’t think you’ve ever taken a vacation since high school. You’re always in school or fighting bad guys. You and May deserve a break.”

 

Peter’s guilt almost overwhelmed him. “You deserve a break too, Ned. I’m sorry we didn’t tell you sooner about it-”

 

“Hey, someone’s gotta stay to call you if something comes up, right? I’m not the guy in the chair for no reason!” He grinned.

 

“I promise, you and me. One whole week. We’ll go wherever you want!” Peter proposed.

 

Ned’s face split into a huge grin as they did their infamous handshake. As Peter listened to all the fun places Ned listed for them to do, Peter made another promise to himself; to hopefully come clean to his best friend soon and to make sure to keep true to his promise, no matter what.

 

***

 

It was Friday evening and MJ was about to arrive at any minute but Peter kept standing under the shower, letting the now lukewarm water cascade down his face, his hair, and his body. He didn’t know how long he had been standing there but as long as the water remained the tiniest bit warm, he wasn’t moving any time soon.

 

The weight of everything that has happened seemed to press down on his shoulders, and even though he had literally pushed off concrete blocks off his back with his bare hands before, this was pushing him down on a whole nother level. 

 

There were no leads on the symbiote, nothing out of the ordinary had been reported to signal that it was out there. With Ferguson gone, Peter had no clue if he was even still alive. Then there was the whole going behind Ned’s back thing. He wanted to tell him everything. He planned to do so after this weekend. The only thing that might really be going right for him was whatever he had going on with MJ right now. 

 

He sighed and placed his hands on the wall in front of him and dropped his head down. Little waterfalls fell from his hair and he watched them as he remembered the first night they had kissed. It felt like such a long time ago. He remembered how he felt before; how he wanted to stay away from her, to keep her safe and now she was all he could think about and he could actually see them together. As a couple. Officially.

 

But now there was a dangerous alien running around the city and it was Peter’s responsibility to get to it and stop it and he knew he couldn’t do that when his head was always on MJ.

 

He shut off the water to stop his mind from wandering off to a thought he didn’t want to even consider. What he and MJ had right now was good; no strings attached, just enjoying each other’s company when they can and then go about their business as usual. It’s what they both had agreed on and MJ hadn’t indicated that she wanted anything more or less.

 

Peter quickly dried himself off and changed into casual clothes before heading downstairs. He had spent most of the morning cleaning - which was a miracle - that he almost didn’t recognize his own place. Different corners of the living room created more space in contrast to the multiple piles of clothes and trash he always used to keep there.

 

There was knocking on the door and Peter rushed to open the door only to find Mrs. Whittaker, the landlady, standing outside with her hand out. 

 

Peter groaned, “Can I pay you next weekend, please? I just spent my recent check on groceries-”

 

“I need  _ your _ rent to buy  _ my  _ groceries, Parker,” she barked. She was a foot shorter than Peter but had the fierceness of a lion that scared him a bit.

 

“ _ Please. _ I’m having someone over and-”

 

“Ooooh, you have party?” She tried to look past Peter’s shoulder into his apartment. “That’s so good! Being lonely is not okay for the soul, Mr. Parker,” she grinned excitedly as she turned away. “I want your rent next week, boy!”

 

“Thank you, Mrs. Whittaker!” Peter yelled after her. Just as she disappeared down the stairs, MJ’s face appeared. She greeted Mrs. Whittaker and then raised her eyebrows at Peter, who just shook his head as if to say,  _ Don’t ask _ .

 

“Hey,” he smiled and then stepped back to let her in. She was carrying a duffle bag with her and it made Peter feel this sort of giddy feeling in his stomach. “What are you going to do? Rob a bank?”

 

MJ looked down at what he was staring at and then laughed. “Yeah, actually! It’s this new thing I have going on.”

 

Peter nodded as he closed the door. “Might get Spider-Man’s attention.”

 

“Maybe that’s what I’m trying to do,” she shrugged while biting down on her lower lip.

 

_ You already have it _ , Peter thought but instead grinned and shook his head. He reached down to take the bag from her hands but when he tried to pull it away, she held tightly to the other handle, keeping him in place.

 

He looked at her questioningly and she stared back intently. Her small grin and the tilt of her head told him exactly what she was doing and he let out a soft laugh before dropping his hold on her bag and stepped closer to her. “Tell me,” he told her as he looked into her eyes.

 

“Tell you what?” She grinned knowingly.

 

“What you want.” He reached out and placed her curls behind her ear.

 

“What makes you think I want something?” She glanced down at his lips before licking her own.

 

He narrowed his eyes at her and then chuckled. He stepped away, which surprised her. “You’re right,” he lifted his arms in defeat, “I don’t know that you want something at all.” He walked past her and into the kitchen to get everything ready. “Not unless you tell me,” he looked back at her and saw that she was rolling her eyes.

 

“So that’s the game we’re going to play?” She flung her bag onto the couch before following him into the kitchen and taking a seat on one of the stools. She stared at him as he began to chop up some vegetables. 

 

He could feel her eyes on him which only made him smile. “What are you talking about? I just want you to tell me what you want,” he shrugged. “And I’d be more than happy to comply.” That earned him a smirk from her lips but it quickly faded into a frown. Peter put down the knife and cleaned his hands with the small towel he had draped over his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

 

MJ shook her head, trying to laugh it off and dismiss it with a wave of her hand. She stood and walked around the island, only to take the knife Peter had put down and continue cutting a carrot into squares. Peter stepped aside to give her a bit more space but leaned his hip on the counter, watching her. He wasn’t sure if he should ask again or just let her take her time in telling him.

 

“Do you ever think we’re getting in too deep?” She asked quietly, her eyes fixed on the cutting board in front of her.

 

Peter looked down at his shoes as he thought about his answer. Knowing his history of always fucking up any sort of relationship he had, he wanted to be careful about what he said or this weekend getaway was going to be cut short.

 

He glanced up at her and crossed his arms. “I don’t think- I mean, I don’t know,” he sighed. “What I  _ do _ know is that I enjoy whatever this is,” he pointed back and forth between them. “You know I’m attracted to you. Maybe it’s not us getting too deep into it but us just being excited that it’s working. That at least something in our lives is going right.”

 

She didn’t say anything but continued to chop a different vegetable. Peter ran his fingers through his hair, grabbing onto the back of his neck, trying to figure out what else to say. Her silence was deafening and he wasn’t sure if he had said the right thing.

 

“Why do you ask?” Peter spoke softly.

 

_ Chop, chop, chop _ .

 

“No, you’re right. I just- Yeah, no. We’re good, Parker. We have a good thing going.” She only smiled and shook her head, dismissing it again. Peter watched as she pushed her curls behind her ear and continued working the knife. He could sense that she was holding something back and it pained him that she couldn’t voice her thoughts to him when nothing ever stopped her before. In truth, he had some thoughts of his own that he didn’t know how to bring up. 

 

_ Chop, chop, chop. _

 

Peter placed his hand over hers to stop her from cutting into the already diced onions into fine powder. She stilled but continued to stare down at the cutting board but he could see her eyes move in his direction. 

 

“Um, I want to tell Ned about… well, about us.” He waited for a reaction but she remained motionless. He guessed if he talked about what he was thinking, she would do the same eventually. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles gently. “When I told him that I was going away for the weekend, he told me I deserved it. He was happy for me when all I felt was guilt.”

 

She finally turned her head to look at him directly. Worry shone in her brown eyes and Peter’s shoulders sagged from relief. She wasn’t mad. 

 

“Why guilty?” She asked. 

 

Peter lifted a shoulder and then looked down at his hand, which was still holding hers. “Having to lie to him sucks. He’s my best friend. The last time I ever kept a secret from him was when I didn’t tell him I’m-” He stopped himself before he could finish. He lifted his gaze to peer at her. “I know we said we’d tell him once we were sure that we could handle  _ this _ but I don’t think I can keep another lie.”

 

“Okay,” she squeezed his hand. 

 

“Wait, what?” Peter chuckled, completely taken aback. “You’re not upset?”

 

MJ snorted, “Why would I be upset? He’s your best friend and I hate that keeping this from him makes you feel this way. Your point is valid. He should know.”

 

Peter couldn’t help the big grin that formed on his lips. “You really are amazing,” he told her. “Okay, we’ll tell him.”

 

“And what, um… what are you going to tell him we are?” She asked, sounding nervous. “That we’re a couple?”

 

“Uh, do you  _ want _ me to tell him that?”

 

MJ sighed and looked down at their joined hands. “That’s sort of what I was trying to ask earlier. I don’t know, do you ever think we do stuff that couples do?”

 

“What, like have sex?” Peter raised an eyebrow which earned him a hard punch on his shoulder. “Ow.”

 

“Besides  _ that _ . Me coming over for the weekend, you going to my place for dinner. May’s get-together,” she listed.

 

“Well, yeah but aren’t those things that friends do? I mean, you said it yourself that on top of everything, we’re friends first. Unless… you want to keep it strictly just sex?”

 

“No, no, no, you’re right. Yeah, I get that but-” She gave his hand a squeeze before letting go. She groaned and ran her hands up and down her face in frustration. “You know I don’t like getting all emotional. I don’t know how to deal with this sort of crap!”

 

Now Peter was really confused. “MJ, you can tell me. Hey, just look at me,” he said and pulled her hands away from her face.

 

She took in a deep breath as her eyes found his and slowly let it out. “I can’t…” she paused.

 

Peter’s heart dropped down to his stomach.  _ Is this why she was okay with telling Ned? Because she wanted to put a stop to this?  _ He let go of her arms and took a step back to give both of them some space.

 

“Peter, wait-” she reached out for him but he raised his hand to stop her. He walked around the counter so that the island stood between them. He placed his palms down flat on the surface and looked at anything but her.

 

“I’m sort of lost here, MJ,” he chuckled although nothing about what he was feeling was remotely funny. “You tell me that things with us are good but then you question it. I ask you what you want not only to tease you, but because I really want to know. I don’t want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. I mean,  _ am _ I making you uncomfortable? Have I done anything that makes you doubt that you can tell me certain things?”

 

“That’s not it! It’s just hard for me to explain-”

 

“Do you want to end this?” Peter interrupted her but continued without waiting for her reply, “For us to just be friends? Or,” he paused and sighed. “Or not?”

 

She didn’t say anything. She just stared back at Peter with an expression that he couldn’t read. He didn’t know what she was thinking and while he loved being curious about what was going on in her head, in this moment, it was killing him that his super-power wasn’t mind reading.

 

“Can I just-” she began.

 

“No, it’s fine,” Peter pushed himself off the counter. “Your silence is answer enough.”

 

“Damn it, can you let me talk?!” She shouted and Peter swallowed. He looked back at her and even though he knew that whatever she had to say will only add salt to the wound, he knew she had the right to explain herself. So, he raised his hands, signaling her to continue.

 

“I’m not ending  _ anything _ between us! I never wanted that! Okay, yes, I’m being confusing with my questions but it’s because I want to know how you feel about  _ us _ . And I’m not talking about our  _ arrangement _ or whatever,” she walked over to stand in front of him. “When I said I can’t, you didn’t let me finish. I was trying to say that  _ I can’t _ stop thinking about you. And it’s annoying yet exciting but it scares the  _ fuck _ out of me because I’ve never done  _ this _ . Having to tell someone how I feel because I’ve never felt anything so strongly enough to have to say it out loud,” she breathed heavily, as if she had just ran a marathon. “Yes, what we have is going good and it’s great and I’m enjoying it but… it has me thinking about… more.”

 

“More?” Peter slowly let the word out. He sat down on one of the stools, still facing her and crossed his arms over his stomach.

 

MJ rolled her eyes as she stepped closer to him. Peter had to open his legs a bit wider so that she fit in between them. “Stop being thick. You know what I mean.”

 

“Being a couple.” Saying it out loud made Peter’s heart pound incredibly fast. “Like an official, dating… couple.” She slowly nodded, carefully looking at him for his reaction. “I’ve actually thought about it too.”

 

“Since when?” She asked.

 

Peter grinned, suddenly embarrassed. “I guess the first night we slept together.”

 

“Me, too.”

 

“Then why didn’t you say anything?” Peter asked.

 

“Why didn’t you?” She laughed softly. “Maybe because it was too soon?”

 

“Or maybe because we were both scared about ruining it,” he added.

 

The corner of her lips lifted into a smirk. “When did you become such an emotional intellect?”

 

“When you’ve gone through some emotional shit, you learn to sort of understand it all.” He was surprised that he had told her that revelation. He smiled softly at her before looking down at his hands. He seldom talked about all the loss he’d experienced. The grief of losing the people he cared about. He forced himself to be strong- for Aunt May, for the responsibility he was given to uphold. He felt MJ’s hands on his chest and then they slid up to his neck and up the back of his hair. He lifted his head to look at her.

 

“I don’t know how to be in a relationship,” she admitted. Her fingers massaged the back of his scalp, releasing the tension that had built up on his neck. 

 

“Neither do I,” Peter said. “But we can help each other, right? We’ll take it slow. But, MJ… you have to be able to talk to me. Don’t keep nothing back. Look, I like you. A lot,” he chuckled. His hands found her waist to pull her closer. “I’m no expert in relationships despite having been in only one but I was raised by two of the best people I know and they were in the best relationship I’ve ever seen. They were there for each other. Just like I want to be there for you… if you let me.”

 

Her eyes searched his- for what, he wasn’t sure but he tried his best to show that every word that had just come out of his mouth was sincere. And then she smiled and slowly nodded.

 

“Go ahead, ask me again,” she said. Peter lifted an eyebrow questioningly. “Ask me what I want.”

 

Peter began to grin and he wrapped his arms around her back, her own wrapping around his shoulders. “What do you want, MJ?”

 

She leaned forward slowly and then opened her mouth to speak. 

 

“I want  _ you _ .” 

 

She voiced each word slowly. Peter felt his chest swell with he didn’t know what but it filled his entire body. Her hands pulled him closer to her until the tips of their noses touched. In a whisper, Peter muttered, “You have me,” and then pressed his lips on hers.

 

He kissed her slowly, letting each brush of their lips and every taste of their tongues express exactly what this moment meant for him. He was equally as terrified as she was, but right now, having her in his arms and with the overwhelming feeling that he could actually be happy again, was all that mattered.

 

He stood and bent down slightly to grab her from behind her knees. She jumped knowingly, her legs wrapping around his waist, their lips never breaking contact. Peter had his eyes closed but he knew his apartment well enough to know his way. His knee met the couch and he slowly lowered MJ down on it, climbing on top of her but resting on his elbows so as to keep most of his weight off of her. She pulled away slightly and just gazed at him, her index finger tracing his eyebrow and then sliding down to his jawline.

 

“So this is what it feels like to have a boyfriend?” 

 

Peter smiled and then pecked her lips softly. “And how does that feel like?”

 

She looked up at the ceiling as if she was thinking about it. Peter tickled her sides which made her laugh and wiggle underneath him until she finally looked back at him.

 

“It makes me feel…” she shrugged. “Happy.”

 

“Me, too,” he replied before pressing his lips on hers. He started out slow; feeling her smile into the kiss, her body arching to fit perfectly along his. He wanted to memorize every sensation that was her- her fingers in his hair, the way she took control and nibbled on his bottom lip. He opened his mouth and deepened the kiss. Her tongue swept in until it met his as her hands slid down his back and began to pull on his shirt. He sat up and quickly pulled his shirt over his head, throwing it over the couch. MJ had followed his movements and was sitting up as well, her fingers working the top buttons of her shirt before she yanked it off, leaving only her bra.

 

She layed back down and Peter over her, his hand resting on her stomach and then slowly gliding up to her chest just above her heart. He could feel it beating rapidly, matching his own. He glanced back up at her but her eyes were glued to where his hand was. 

 

He removed his hand and replaced it with his mouth, pressing his lips along the top of her breasts. Her hands gripped his arms as he continued his trail down to his stomach. He tasted every inch of her. Kissed promises into her skin.

 

He moved forward to kiss her again, hard and deep, as if his whole life depended on it. She kissed him back just as eagerly, her arms and legs wrapping around him. He pulled away, breathless, and really looked at her. He let his eyes wander over every feature of his face and the magnitude of the truth that she was finally his and he was herse took over every nerve ending in his body.

 

He swallowed and licked his lips, the words caught in his throat. 

 

“MJ, I-” he cleared his throat. “I’m in-”

 

The lock on the door turned and the creak of the door opening reached Peter’s ears before MJ even knew what was happening. He turned in time just to see Ned’s face appear around the corner.

 

He stood up immediately and grabbed the nearest blanket he could find and threw it at MJ so she could cover herself. Peter froze, waiting for his best friend to turn and find him half-naked and a half-naked MJ on his couch. 

 

But Ned wasn’t alone.

 

Linda walked in behind him and was the first to see Peter and then MJ. Her mouth opened into a big ‘O’ before she screeched, “Oh my  _ god _ !”

 

“What-?” Ned turned to face her and his eyes landed on Peter. His own eyes went wide with surprise but when they moved over to see MJ covering herself with the blanket and then moving back to Peter’s bare torso, Peter could literally see him putting the pieces together. “What’s going on? Wait, why are you here?”

 

“Why are  _ you _ here?” Peter asked.  _ Where the fuck was his shirt? _

 

“Um,” Ned stuttered as he looked over at Linda, who just shrugged. “Don’t turn this around on me. Weren’t you supposed to be out of town?”

 

Peter didn’t say anything. He glanced over at MJ. She gave him a lopsided smile as she tightened her hold on the blanket.

 

“Oh, I get it.  _ She _ was your vacation. So, what? Are you guys fuck buddies now?” Ned was pissed, it was palpable. 

 

“Ned, I was going to tell you-”

 

“Yeah? When?” He retorted.

 

Peter’s anger grew. “Why are you even  _ here _ , Ned?”

 

“Key.” Ned held up his key to the apartment that Peter had given him as soon as he made a copy.

 

“So you decided to come into my place when you knew I wasn’t going to be here?” Peter asked.

 

“My fucking mistake since you lied and were instead sleeping with our friend without telling me!” Ned shouted back.

 

“How do I know that you guys aren’t fucking each other, much less in my apartment?” Peter pointed between Ned and Linda.

 

Linda screwed up her face and Ned shook his head. “I’m gay,” Linda told them.

 

“What? You are?” MJ asked her.

 

Linda grinned at her and nodded. “I’m dating Kristen, actually.”

 

“Oh my god, our receptionist? I had no idea,” MJ continued.

 

“Yeah, not really listed in my resume,” Linda chuckled nervously.

 

“No, I think that’s great, Linda. I’m-”

 

“Hey, hey, hey,” Ned interrupted. “As revealing as this conversation is, I think I’m going to leave.” He gave Peter a hurt look before he walked past Linda and opened the door.

 

Peter quickly jumped behind the couch to retrieve his shirt and slipped it on before dashing to the door and following Ned down the stairs. “Ned, hold up. Let me explain!”

 

“No, you fucked up, Peter. I don’t care that you’re screwing MJ but you didn’t have to lie about it,” he told him over his shoulder.

 

Peter could easily catch up to him but stayed a few steps back, knowing full well it would only annoy Ned further if he tried to stop him. “I’m not just screwing MJ, Ned. I was going to tell you everything after this weekend. I felt guilty keeping this from you.”

 

“You should!” Ned stopped and finally turned to face Peter. They stood on the second floor landing. “What? You think I wouldn’t approve or something? You know what’s so messed up about all this? That even though I’m fucking pissed at you, I’m also fucking happy. Because it’s about damn time both of you did something about whatever was going on between the two of you.”

 

Peter sighed, not knowing what to say. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, man.”

 

“Why didn’t you?”

 

“Because we didn’t even know it was going to work! We weren’t ready to commit to a relationship back when we met up at the bar but we were attracted to each other so-”

 

“Friends with benefits,” Ned finished for him.

 

Peter nodded. “But all of that changed tonight. We’re together now and you were the first person I wanted to tell. I don’t know, it’s not an excuse but I guess we wanted to figure it out on our own without the pressure of everyone waiting to see if we could actually do this.”

 

Ned’s eyes softened but they stared at the wall behind Peter. “Does she know?”

 

Peter’s eyebrows furrowed. Then he understood. “No. She doesn’t.”

 

“Are you going to tell her?”

 

Telling MJ his biggest secret felt like some ghost had him by the throat. It was risky for her to know that she was Spider-Man. People he went after could use her to get to him, putting her in danger. 

 

But being with her had erased that dark cloud he always felt was following him, ready to rain down on him. She made everything better.

 

“You can’t leave her in the dark with this, Peter. Not if you guys are serious. She’ll eventually find out, given that she already had her theories back in high school.”

 

Peter knew Ned was right. “I’ll tell her.”

 

There was a silence between them but Peter knew Ned’s anger had faded. He reached out and placed his hand on Ned’s shoulder, squeezing it until Ned looked at him. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I’ve never kept anything from you and this was a low blow, I know that. You’re my best friend, Ned. Always will be. I love you, man.”

 

The corner of Ned’s mouth lifted into a small smile. “I love you, too, bro.”

 

They hugged tightly before Peter pulled back, resting his arm over Ned’s shoulder. “Come back upstairs?” They walked up the stairs until Peter asked, “So, what exactly were you and Linda going to do in my apartment?”

 

Ned laughed softly. “Play this online game. The wifi back at the dorm sucks and well…”

 

“Right,” Peter chuckled and opened the door.

 

Linda and MJ were seated in the kitchen. MJ had put on her shirt and her hair was now pinned up on top of her head. They both smiled at the boys, knowing they had made up. MJ’s eyes found Peter’s and they held his gaze for a moment.

 

“Oh my god, come and hug him already or I’m going to be sick,” Ned rolled his eyes but then smiled at MJ, telling her he was joking.

 

They all laughed as MJ stood and made her way towards Peter. He smiled at her as he opened his arms and wrapped them around her shoulders. He kissed her forehead and then looked over to find Linda and Ned staring at them, both of them grinning.

 

There were things happening outside this building that posed a threat to everyone inside Peter’s apartment. The symbiote and Dr. Ferguson were still missing and there was the ambiguity of Lotrek’s secret. Everyone in the room was involved in something greater than themselves but one thing Peter had learned from past experience is that the only way they even had a chance to face everything that went against them, is if they stick together. He wouldn’t let anything or anyone hurt the people who he cared about the most. His family.

 

This was the calm before the storm.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, this is not the end of the fanfic even though I made it sound like it was lol
> 
> Thank you guys again for your continuous support! I appreciate it so much!


	14. Moving Forward - MJ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys have any questions or comments, you can always contact me through twitter or my curiouscat!
> 
> twitter: @tomsvnm  
> curiouscat: curiouscat.me/tomsvnm
> 
> Enjoy! xx
> 
> -N

MJ never believed in superstitions. 

 

Why would stepping on a crack break her mother’s back? So what if a black cat crossed the street in front of her? The number 13 was just another number to her. Yet, she somehow didn’t want to admit how she’s been feeling the past few days for fear that it might all tumble to hell.

 

The past weekend she had spent with Peter was undeniably pure bliss. While they had spent one night with their friends, the rest of their weekend consisted of cuddling while not really watching the tv. Just enjoying each other now that they no longer had to restrain themselves or feel pressure not to cross a certain line.

 

MJ found it hard to be emotionally available for just anybody, but Peter wasn’t just anybody. Except for her father, Peter probably knew more about her than anybody else. It was riveting yet frightening to feel so sure about someone. MJ was always someone who trusted her gut instinct, but when it came to Peter and being vulnerable to someone for the very first time, MJ had no idea what to expect.

 

“Stop smiling!”

 

MJ jumped in the sturdy chair that sat in front of Jameson’s desk. She had completely forgotten where she was so she straightened her back and cleared her throat. “I wasn’t smiling.”

 

“Like hell you weren’t,” Jameson barked as he huffed on a brown cigar from his lips. 

 

“Is it such a crime?” MJ asked, rolling her eyes.

 

“In this building it is. Now, Lotrek,” he looked down at the notes she had compiled for him, “What do you got?”

 

Nothing.

 

Apart from the interesting report she conjured up from her visit to Lotrek, MJ hadn’t been able to find some kind of breakthrough. Lotrek was doing a damn good job keeping their secret locked up and away from curious eyes. Except, it’s MJ’s own curiosity that gave her the idea to get the facts in a way that Jameson would never approve.

 

“I have some fact checking left to do. Linda is coming back after lunch with some information that will  _ definitely _ get me what I need to finally write this piece,” MJ told Jameson.

 

Jameson’s eyes snapped up to look at her. “Am I getting in trouble here?”

 

“No,” MJ shook her head. 

 

“I don’t believe you,” he replied, slamming her report down on his desk. He chewed on the end of his cigar. “I told you from the start that this was risky business. It’s been weeks and you have nothing, Jones. It’s over. Look for something else.”

 

“I’m  _ close _ , Jonah! Give me until the end of next week! When have I ever let you down?” She was on the edge of her seat. She expected for him to be frustrated with her but not enough for him to take this away from her.

 

“What else have you written, hmm? You know how sick I am of Hue trying to push his healthy column on the front page? You’re investing too much on this when you can be giving me  _ real _ news, Jones!” He lifted the report and threw it in front of her on the desk. “One week. If there’s nothing, you drop it!  _ Am I clear _ ?”

 

MJ reached for her report and nodded, taking in a deep breath and letting it go slowly. She left Jameson’s office and prayed as she walked back to her own office, that Linda was able to get what she went out for.

 

She closed her office door behind her and threw her papers onto a chair. She unrolled the scarf she still had around her neck and placed it on top of her desk. Coffee was needed in order for her to calm her nerves. One truth she had told Jameson was that she was close. This one shot, with Linda’s help, will be everything to help her finally crack Lotrek.

 

The weather outside was foggy. The city below was obscured by vague clouds. The temperature had dropped as winter knocked before it came. While civilians shielded themselves with coats and beanies, MJ welcomed the cold. It kept her alert and awake, which she needed to be now more than ever.

 

Her personal phone began to rang and she turned to see the caller ID. She smiled before she answered with a, “Hey, loser.”

 

“Really? Loser? I would’ve thought that now since I’m your  _ boyfriend _ and all, that nickname wouldn’t exist anymore,” Peter’s voice carried through.

 

The way he had said ‘ _ I’m your boyfriend _ ’ had sent adrenaline to spike from her fingertips to her toes. She wanted to scream and dance and she almost pinched herself for wanting to react so childlike.

 

“Nope. That one’s going to stick for a long time,” she replied. She bit her lip to keep herself from smiling but it was no use- her grin made her cheeks hurt.

 

She heard him chuckle before he continued, “Want to meet up for coffee after you’re out?” She could barely understand what he was saying. The wind seemed to flap against his phone, muffling his words.

 

“Is it really windy outside?” She asked as she walked over to her window to take a look. Besides different shades of grey and misty clouds, nothing seemed to indicate strong winds.

 

“Sorry,” he grunted and then his voice returned to normal. “I was, uh… running.” He did sound pretty breathless. “So, coffee? Our regular place? After work? There’s something I want to talk about.”

 

Her heart began to beat faster. She had an idea of what he wanted to talk about. Before Ned had come in and found them, MJ was sure Peter was about to confess something that she wasn’t sure she was ready to hear. She spent most of the weekend trying to figure out if she felt the same way.

 

“There’s something I want to talk to you about, too,” she told him. She rubbed her forehead nervously.

 

“Oh, yeah? What is it?” He asked.

 

MJ licked her lips as she closed her eyes tightly, trying to find any willpower available in her body to voice what she wanted to say. “I’m close to breaking Lotrek,” she decided to sneak her way past it.

 

“That’s good, right? I can’t wait to hear what you found,” he genuinely sounded interested and it pulled at MJ’s heart how truly caring he was. “I’ll see you soon?”

 

“Yes, you will,” she replied.

 

He chuckled before he hung up. MJ looked down at her phone screen after she pulled it away from her ear. She let out a long sigh. She did actually want to tell him her idea for exposing Lotrek but given the small arguments they’ve had before regarding her techniques and pushing people’s buttons, she knew he wasn’t going to be so happy about it.

 

The door to MJ’s office opened and Linda rushed in, closing the door behind her. She, too, was breathless. “The elevator broke down,” she panted, pointing behind her. “Had to come up the stairs.”

 

MJ shook her head, laughing softly as she took a seat behind her desk. Linda dropped her bag before reaching inside to pull out what she was looking for. She came up to MJ and handed her a badge. Lotrek’s logo was stamped on the right hand corner. An ID picture of MJ covered half of the badge with a false name and information next to it. 

 

“How reliable is your source?” MJ asked, peeking up at Linda.

 

Linda merely shrugged as she smirked. “He owes me a favor.”

 

MJ smiled and looked down at the pretty legit looking badge in her hands. MJ has never been scared to bend the rules just a little bit if it helped uncover the truth. The plan was simple: get into Lotrek during the night shift where there are less people milling about and snap some pictures of the packages stored in that room she peeked in last time she was there. The badge was a security measure to be allowed inside the building.

 

“And your guy will erase me scanning in?” MJ asked.

 

Linda nodded. “He can give you an hour tops before the internal security detects your false credentials. He also suggested using disposable cameras?” The pictures were going to be sent into the  _ Bugle _ anonymously.

 

“Who is this guy?” MJ laughed incredulously.

 

“The less you know, the better,” Linda snickered. She hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and gave MJ a small smile before turning towards the door.

 

“Linda, wait.” MJ stopped her, putting down the badge on her desk and leaning forward. Linda turned, her eyebrows perked up in question. “I wanted to… thank you. For everything that you’ve been doing- what you’ve done since you started working here. I know getting this,” she pointed down at the badge, “is a huge risk. I’m grateful to have you in on this and once we’re able to crack Lotrek and expose them… I’d love it if you’d work on the article with me.”

 

Linda stood still as a statue. She had on a blank expression for a few seconds before she burst into tears, covering her mouth with her hands. MJ was the one in shock now. She didn’t know what to do or say. 

 

“Um, Linda? Are you oka-”

 

Linda had dropped her bag and was rushing towards her. MJ barely stood up before Linda had her arms around MJ, hugging her tightly and rocking her side to side. With her arms pinned next to her, MJ could only move her hands to pat Linda’s back.

 

“Oh my god, thank you, thank you!” Linda pulled her face back to look at MJ but kept hugging her. “It would be such an  _ honor _ to write a piece with you. This is possibly the best day of my life!” She sniffed, crocodile tears streaming down her cheeks continuously.

 

MJ chuckled softly and somehow managed to pull her arms out and hugged Linda right back. She felt overcome with emotion as she thought about how in the small time she had hired and known Linda, she had become a friend to MJ. She knew she could trust her with anything and she vowed to herself to be a better boss, a better friend.

 

They finally released each other, laughing at each other when they saw their tear-streaked faces. MJ wiped her eyes, “I’m going to fire you for making me cry for the first time in years.”

 

Linda giggled, waving her face to dry out her eyes. “No, really. This means so much. I was sort of doubting myself that coming to live in New York with the dream of someday becoming a journalist was just that… a dream. So this,” she sighed, “it keeps me going.”

 

MJ didn’t know what to say to her confession. She never knew this about Linda. Despite her interviews, Linda was always vague with her answers, stating that she just wanted to work with the best. When she thought about letting Linda co-write the Lotrek piece, she was thinking of it as giving credit where credit is due. After all, Linda had pulled on as much weight as MJ in everything. 

 

“Have you written anything before?” MJ asked, suddenly curious.

 

Linda nodded enthusiastically. “Nothing published, of course. Old college work mostly but sometimes I rewrite articles that I’ve read to sort of put my own twist to it.”

 

“I want to read them,” MJ stated.

 

“What? Oh my god, no, no, no,” Linda shook her head.

 

“I’m serious!” MJ smiled, “As my assistant, I want to read your work.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I see your potential, Linda. You shouldn’t hide your passion and ambitions, no matter how scary it is to see them either succeed or fail. Bring me your work. We’ll write the Lotrek article together and I’ll pull on Jonah’s mustache to put your name under the title.” MJ sat down behind her desk once again before looking up at Linda, grinning. “And then we’ll see about giving you a promotion.”

 

Tears brimmed in Linda’s eyes once again but she tried to restrain them. She nodded and walked back to the door, picking her bag up along the way. Pulling the door open, she turned back to look at MJ. “Remind me to buy you one of those ‘World’s Best Boss’ mugs from the souvenir store down the street,” she laughed. “Thank you so much, Ms. Jones.”

 

She was about to walk out when MJ stopped her once again. “Linda,” she started and then smiled, “You can call me MJ.”

 

***

 

The cold wind bit her cheeks as MJ hurried past the crowd of people leaving work. She turned the corner and walked the few steps until she found the coffee place she and Peter agreed to meet at.

 

The warmth from inside immediately enveloped her and she sighed contentedly, welcoming it. She looked around to find his familiar face, but to no surprise, he wasn’t there yet. She took off her coat and ordered a coffee before making her way to a small table by the window. She sat and rubbed her legs, getting rid of the coolness that still remained.

 

The small bell above the door jingled and she smiled when she saw Peter rush in, blowing into his hands. His eyes roamed the place until he found her and he grinned, waving. He walked towards her, almost sprinted, as she stood up from her seat.

 

He wrapped his arms around her tightly, burying his face into her neck for a few seconds before planting a small kiss on her cheek. They sat down just when the barista came to deliver MJ’s coffee.

 

“Would you like anything?” She asked Peter.

 

“Coffee’s good, thanks,” he replied. The barista nodded and left to prepare his order.

 

MJ took her cup in her hands, holding onto the warmth. “How was your run?”

 

“My what?” He asked, one eyebrow raised. He was in the process of taking off his coat before letting it hang on the back of his chair. “Oh, um, right. It was… tiring,” he chuckled.

 

“Oh my god, what happened to your jaw?” MJ reached out and used her fingers to gently push his face to the side so that the small light above them shone down on him. A big dark purple bruise covered most of Peter’s jawline.

 

“I’m fine, MJ,” he took her hand and held it. “It happened during my… run.”

 

“What happened? Did you run into someone’s fist?” She laughed softly but then set her lips into a thin line. “Have you gotten checked out?”

 

“I said I’m  _ fine _ ,” he smiled, trying to convince her but failing. He rubbed her knuckles gently where he held her hand on top of the table, trying to soothe her worry. “This actually has to do with what I’ve been wanting to talk to you about.”

 

MJ waited for him to continue. He wasn’t looking at her anymore. His eyes were glued to where their hands were joined. He licked his lips repeatedly, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed several times. 

 

“You were right,” he began. “About me. I’m-”

 

“Coffee?”

 

The barista set the steaming cup down, breaking their hands apart. Peter nodded his thanks, leaning back against his chair and sighing. “So, was Linda able to get what you were looking for?”

 

He changed the subject.

 

“Don’t you want to finish what you were going to say?” MJ asked.

 

He shook his head, smiling. “It can wait until you tell me about your day.”

 

MJ knew he was looking for more time to figure out how to tell her whatever he needed to tell her. It made her slightly nervous. She wasn’t someone who liked surprises, but at least he mentioned telling her a bit later and not omitting it completely.

 

“Right,” she said. She reached into her bag and pulled out the badge with her face on it. “Linda was able to get me this.” She handed it to him. His eyebrows furrowed as he looked down at it.

 

“A badge? For what?”

 

“Lotrek,” MJ stated. She raised her cup and took a small sip, careful not to burn herself. 

 

She could see him finally understanding what she was up to. He looked up at her. “You’re going into Lotrek again? Won’t they recognize you?”

 

“The night shift won’t,” she smirked.

 

“MJ,” Peter sighed as he handed her back the badge.

 

“I know what you’re going to say, Peter, but I really have no other choice! I’m only going to be in there for ten minutes, snap some pictures and then get out. I’ve got it covered,” she shrugged. 

 

“If you get caught?” He persisted.

 

“I won’t. Can you try to at least be a little bit more supportive?”

 

He sighed again. “I am supportive. I think it’s great that you want to do everything in your power to bring this company down.  It’s one of the many things I admire about you but-”

 

MJ shook her head and interrupted him. “Then  _ trust _ me. Trust that I can do this! Ten minutes is all it takes to expose this sick scheme. It’s nothing compared to the truth finally being told.”

 

Peter watched her intently. She could sense that he was figuring out what more to say but she was set on this plan, and as much as she was grateful for him being there for her since all of this started, nothing he’d say would change her mind.

 

Apparently, he figured that out too.

 

He opened his mouth and then closed it. He opened it again. “You’ll be careful?”

 

She smiled at him and reached for his hand, intertwining their fingers together. “I promise.”

 

“You’ll call me before and after?” He kept asking.

 

MJ rolled her eyes. “Really? Are you going to be  _ that _ type of boyfriend?”

 

The last word made him grin. He leaned forward, closer to her. She felt herself doing the same. “I care a lot about you and I would face any threat in this world before I let anything happen to you. You know that, right?”

 

She knew he meant it. She could feel every word warm her heart inside her chest so that it spread all the way to her fingertips. There was that unknown but overwhelming sensation of being aware that there was someone out there who truly cared for her. When she was young, there was only ever one person who made her feel this secure but then nature had its way of taking him away from MJ forever. Losing her father only strengthen the walls MJ had put up to protect herself and now Peter was slowly breaking those barriers down, brick by brick, allowing her to finally breathe.

 

“I do,” she whispered. She thought back to the weekend, when Peter was about to blurt out those small words that would have impacted  _ everything _ . She wondered if maybe,  _ just maybe _ , she felt the same way. “What did you want to tell me earlier?”

 

He took in a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before releasing it slowly. “I have- I have been keeping something from you. In my own way, I thought that by not telling you, I was protecting you.”

 

Now, MJ was confused. “Okay…?”

 

“I don’t think there’s any easy way to say this,” he chuckled nervously, “but I’m-”

 

“Pete?”

 

Peter and MJ turned towards the voice. Rick was standing by the register, two cups in his hand and a small to-go bag hanging from his fingers. Once he recognized Peter, he started to make his way over. Peter turned back to face MJ, giving her a look of apology just as Rick neared their table.

 

“Hey, Rick,” Peter forced a smile.

 

“How are you, bud?” Rick asked before looking over at MJ, “Michelle, right?”

 

MJ nodded.

 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted to say hi,” he muttered.

 

MJ noticed that he appeared to have been sweating, despite it being close to freezing outside. His left foot kept tapping on the floor.

 

“Where’s May?” Peter asked. He, too, eyed Rick’s nervous state.

 

“Home,” Rick replied. “I came to check on a close friend of mine that lives in the area. He’s not feeling so great so I thought some coffee and snacks would do him good.”

 

The atmosphere grew awkward and MJ took a small sip from her already cold coffee to try to ease her discomfort. Peter asked questions about Rick’s friend, more to be polite and not exactly push Rick to leave them alone. MJ listened in and caught Rick eyeing the Lotrek badge she had placed down on the table. She saw his eyebrow twitch and his eyes snapped from the badge up to look at MJ, curiosity overtaking his expression. MJ frowned and slowly placed her hand over the badge, pulling it back towards her and placing it inside her bag.

 

“Rick? Your phone is ringing,” Peter said.

 

“Hmm? Oh, shit, yeah,” Rick shook his head and took out his phone from his pocket to look at the screen. “Speak of the devil, it’s my friend. It was nice seeing you guys. You take care, alright?”

 

He waved at them as he walked towards the door, placing his phone to his ear. MJ watched him as he neared the door and then turned to look back at them, giving MJ a look she couldn’t understand.

 

“MJ?”

 

She looked at Peter.

 

“I have to go,” he raised his phone as an explanation. “They may have found Dr. Ferguson. I’ll call you tonight?”

 

“Yeah, that’s fine, go. I hope he’s okay,” she said.

 

Peter gave her a small smile before leaning forward and giving her a small kiss on the lips. He grabbed his coat and rushed out the door. MJ took in a deep breath as she tried to process everything that had just happened in the past hour.

 

She took out her phone and texted Linda. ‘ _ It’s happening tomorrow. Let your guy know. _ ’

 


	15. Collision - Peter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short one but only because the next few chapters will be much longer!
> 
> -N

“Yeah, that’s him.”

 

Peter looked down at the lifeless face of Dr. Ferguson. His body was covered in a plastic white bag, the zipper pulled down to reveal his face. Ned and Peter stood inside the morgue where they had stored Ferguson’s body. The place reeked of bleach and death and Peter could hear Ned trying not to gag behind him.

 

“What happened?” Peter asked the coroner. The badge on his coat identified him as Dr. Hill.

 

“That’s still a mystery,” he mentioned as he zipped the bag even lower. “There are no stab wounds or bullet wounds that would indicate a potential murder weapon.” Ferguson’s chest was covered in black splotches, veins trickling in the direction of where his heart used to be.

 

“And he has no family?” Ned added. “We can’t be the only ones to have known him.”

 

“You were the last two to have seen him apparently, so you count at being able to identify him,” Dr. Hill looked up, pushing his squared spectacles up his nose, “But no, no family. No relatives, either.”

 

“So how did he die?” Peter continued.

 

The coroner pressed his lips into a thin line. “I’m not supposed to be sharing this information with you, to be honest.” He eyed them curiously and then shrugged. “My best guess is this,” he pointed towards the splotches. “I’ve taken samples but the cells are all dead and they’re not even cells I could recognize. If I could describe it in any way I would say that whatever killed him… it’s not part of this world.”

 

Peter felt every nerve in his body wake up in alert. 

 

“His mouth was filled with the same substance. Asphyxiation could’ve been another cause of death. Both lungs and heart were completely covered with it,” he continued. A phone began to ring and the coroner reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “I have to take this. I’ll be right back and please,” he pointed at the body, “don’t touch anything.”

 

He left the medical room, leaving Ned and Peter alone with Ferguson’s body. 

 

“You think that thing killed him?” Ned voiced Peter’s thoughts.

 

“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” Peter sighed and finally willed himself to look away from the blank expression on Ferguson’s face. He turned and faced Ned instead. “Don’t you think it’s curious that he had no one? How did he even get the symbiote?”

 

“He mentioned that it was being studied in San Francisco. Maybe he worked for them and wanted to continue studying it?” Ned guessed.

 

Peter looked back at the body. He didn’t know exactly what to feel. He had admired Dr. Ferguson in the little time he and Ned had worked for him. He was new to the science program in the university but Peter always felt like he was part of something bigger. He never expected for that something to be the cause of Ferguson’s death.

 

“I have to find where that thing came from and what exactly it’s looking for,” Peter muttered. He looked at the splotches on Ferguson’s chest. They looked like someone had thrown small balloons filled with ink at him. He recalled what Dr. Hill had said. “His organs were rotted with that stuff. Whatever it was, it was killing him from the inside out.”

 

Ned stepped to stand next to him and swallowed loudly. “The symbiote got to him. That’s how he escaped the lab.”

 

Peter frowned but nodded. “Remember when you said that maybe it was dying? He used Ferguson as his host and took whatever he could to stay alive.”

 

“That means…” Ned started.

 

“Could you try to find where in San Francisco the thing came from? Search companies, organizations, even fucking NASA if you have to. Maybe we can get some more info about it that can help us track it or something,” Peter told Ned as he turned to leave.

 

“Wait! Don’t leave me in here,” Ned scurried after him. They walked out of the precinct and into the cold night. 

 

“I’m gonna head to the lab to look through some of Ferguson’s stuff and see if there’s anything the police might’ve missed. Meet you back at my place?” He didn’t wait for Ned to respond as he turned down the street and rushed in the direction of the university. He stared down at the ground, using his  _ other _ senses to dodge the oncoming traffic of people heading the opposite way. He tried to make sense of everything that had happened. He began to blame himself for not solving it sooner and maybe Ferguson would still be alive.

 

It was like his story just kept repeating itself. Peter had already been down this road times before and he knew better than to put the blame on himself but he couldn’t help it. He was given this power to do something good and all it’s resulted in is pain and death. 

 

It began to drizzle and so Peter put the hoodie from his jacket over his head. He kept on walking, the crowd of people dispersing until it was only him and a couple of homeless men sitting on the sidewalk.

 

“Got a quarter, sir? Am only missin’  one more quarter.”

 

Peter shoved his hand into his front pocket and pulled out a dollar bill. He handed it to the man, who blubbered many thanks, and was about to continue walking when he heard whimpers coming from the alley behind him. Part of him warned him that it could just be another guy dealing with the effects of some drug but another part of him told him this was different. He looked around to make sure no one was eyeing him before he slipped into the shadows of the alley. 

 

Peter removed his hoodie and tapped his chest twice. His Spider-Man mask covered his face, leaving the rest of his clothes intact. His vision focused and and the flickering lamp embedded into the building above him illuminated the small area. The whimpers grew louder and Peter took each step slowly, trying not to startle the man.

 

“Is anyone okay?” Peter asked softly. He neared a trashcan and found a man in a suit holding his knees close to his chest. He wasn’t homeless. The pristine shine of his shoes and the quality of the suit alone distinguished him. He was rocking back and forth, his eyes wandering around maniacally. He didn’t seem to notice Peter.

 

“It burns,” he mumbled more to himself than to Peter. “Make it stop. It burns. I don’t like it. Make it stop, please.”

 

“Hey, you’re going to be okay,” Peter stepped closer, his hands up to show him he was no threat. “How about you tell me your name?”

 

The man continued his mumbling. If he had heard Peter, he didn’t acknowledge it.

 

“I’m going to get you some help,” Peter told him and was about to ask Karen to call the local ER when the man suddenly froze and then toppled over. Peter ran to him and shook him but with no response. Foam had begun to leak from his mouth. He pulled back the sleeve of his jacket and tapped twice on the bracelet he had on his wrist. His hand was immediately covered with the material from his suit. He pressed his fingers on the man’s throat to check for a pulse but felt nothing. He sighed and stood up and was about to call an ambulance when something in the man’s hand caught his eye.

 

His hand was wrapped tightly around what seemed like a silver tube the size of his palm. Peter reached for it and pulled it out of his hand. It was a partially empty vial. Dark blue liquid sat at the bottom. Across the container, a barcode was labeled along with the letters  **LTK** .

 

“LTK?” Peter voiced out loud. 

 

“I see you’ve found my little experiment.”

 

Peter whipped around at the sound of the deep guttural voice. There was no one else in the alley besides him and the man laying on the floor. He pressed on his chest and felt his suit cover his body underneath his clothes. 

 

“Such a failure,” the voice spoke again but this time it came from above Peter. 

 

Peter shot his webs but they only came floating down empty. He strained his ears to hear any movement around him. “What did you do to him?”

 

“What needed to be done,” it replied. It emerged from the shadows, a huge black…  _ something _ with fangs for teeth and milky eyes that carried back to his head. It was twice Peter’s size and the sneering smile it had as he looked over Peter made all of his senses heighten. “I do believe we have met.”

 

Every word that came out of his mouth resonated all over Peter. He could feel every cell of his body vibrate. Peter observed it closely and he even had to agree that his form looked familiar.

 

“You’re the symbiote-” he began.

 

“I’m Venom,” the creature interrupted. He opened his mouth, letting a snake-like tongue roll out in threat.

 

Peter’s fingers twitched to press down on his palms to activate his webs but before he had time to act on it, he felt himself being slammed back against the wall of the building. He groaned and lifted his head just as he saw Venom pull himself towards him, almost gliding like it used to in the container. Peter looked back down and saw the substance that made up the symbiote hold him up against the wall and then shrink until it formed into a hand. It glided up to his neck and even with his suit on, Peter felt the coldness emanating from its fingers wrapping around his throat.

 

“You killed Ferguson,” Peter strained to speak.

 

“He served his purpose,” Venom spoke as he inched his face closer to Peter’s. 

 

Peter began to bend his fingers towards his web shooters when Venom’s own form sprouted limbs from his torso and pinned Peter’s hands next to him against the wall. “Yeah and look at where that got him. Who’s the new guy you’ve taken over?”

 

He heard a rumble, sort of like thunder, and then Peter realized Venom was actually laughing. “Oh, we go way back. I can’t live without him.”

 

“Aw, that’s touching,” Peter tried to wiggle out of Venom’s grasp, “Send me an invite to the wedding, huh?” He pulled his legs up to his chest and kicked Venom square in the chest so that he recoiled back, releasing Peter. As soon as he landed on the floor, Peter shot a web to the building in front of him and pulled himself towards it. He crawled along the wall until he was above Venom who was barely trying to stand up. Peter webbed his head and then pushed himself off the wall, pulling Venom with him so that his face slammed down onto the ground. He heard him shriek and Peter blasted him with multiple webs but Venom was quicker, pulling the webs off of him and extending himself towards Peter.

 

Peter dodged him and just when he was nearing him, Peter flipped, kicking Venom square in the jaw, sending him back flying. He landed with a  _ thump! _ and Peter climbed up the wall, out of reach.

 

“What’s in that vial? Where did you get it?” Peter shouted.

 

Venom just chuckled. “Let  _ me  _ worry about that,” he stood, his shoulders raising and falling as if he was panting, “but know this- stay out of my way or your girlfriend is going to find way more than just a couple of packages.”

 

He might as well had punched Peter in the stomach. He felt the air leave his lungs as pieces began to fit together. “Don’t you dare-”

 

“ _ Then stay out of my way _ ,” he threatened. He lunged towards the wall and instead of coming after Peter like he had expected, he climbed the other way. Peter followed him up the building. Just as he reached the landing, no sign of Venom could be seen. Peter cursed at himself for losing the symbiote yet again.

 

He dropped down onto the alley and stuck his hand inside the pocket of his sweater where his fingers found the vial. He pulled it out and looked at the label.

 

**LTK** .

 

“Lotrek,” Peter breathed out.

 

***

 

He used his fist to bang on her door three times. He wasn’t sure what time it was or if she was even asleep already but he needed to talk to her. 

 

To warn her.

 

His suit was off. His jacket hung heavy on him, damp from his trip through the rain. He pushed his hair out of his forehead and banged on her door again. The door swung open and MJ stood in a pair of sweatpants and the Columbia shirt he had let her borrow a few weeks ago. Her hair was down, her curls hanging over her shoulder.

 

“Peter?” Her eyes narrowed with worry. She crossed her arms across her stomach. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Did I wake you?” Peter asked. She just shook her head slowly. Peter took in a deep breath. “You can’t go into Lotrek. MJ, you have to let it-”

 

MJ scoffed and turned away from him but left the door open. Peter followed her inside and into the area where her bedroom was set up. Heaps of laundry was all over her bed and she picked up a random shirt and began to fold it.

 

“MJ, this is serious. Things can get dangerous,” Peter continued.

 

“And I’ve taken every precaution to make sure I get in there and out quickly,” she countered.

 

He stood across from her, the bed and the pile of clothes separating them. Her windows were slightly open and Peter fought the urge to shut all of them closed.

 

“Why even go in there in the first place? There are far worse things going on than a bunch of unknown packages that could be  _ anything _ ,” he told her.

 

“They could be the  _ key _ in destroying Lotrek!”

 

Peter ran his hands up and down his face in frustration. He needed to figure out a way to convince her not to go through with this. He could tell her the truth, about everything.

 

“Peter, this is my job. This is the kind of thing I have worked my ass off to accomplish! Why are you so against that?” She asked him.

 

“I’m not against it, MJ. It’s just that this one specific project can put you into danger-”

 

“Danger to what?!” She was shouting now. “A couple of fucking lawsuits will be the least of my worries if it means Lotrek is gone and whatever corruption they’re hiding is exposed and hopefully destroyed.”

 

“None of that matters if you’re killed in the process!”

 

MJ opened her mouth in shock and then closed it. She laughed, although no humor was embedded in it. “Do you realize how  _ insane _ you sound?  _ Nothing _ is going to happen to me by sneaking in!”

 

Peter turned away and tried to calm his breathing. 

 

“I think you need to go, Peter,” MJ muttered from behind him.

 

Peter just shook his head as he looked down at the floor. “I’m not leaving until you promise me you won’t go.”

 

“I won’t do that.”

 

Peter turned to face her again. “MJ, please trust me-”

 

“You know, it’s so typical,” she chuckled and finally looked up at him. Her eyes brimmed with tears and it made Peter’s heart ache. He wasn’t expecting tonight to end up like this. “You let a man inside your pants and suddenly they think they know what’s good for you and what isn’t.”

 

“MJ, that’s not what I’m-”

 

“This was a mistake,” she interrupted him.

 

“What- what do you mean?” Peter mumbled.

 

“ _ This! Us!”  _ She pointed between herself and him. “We should have just kept it as sex!”

 

Peter scoffed, feeling incredulous at the turn this conversation had taken. “That wouldn’t have changed the fact that I care about you.”

 

“Then maybe we shouldn’t have gotten involved in the first place!” She lifted her arms in the air before letting them flop back down to her side. “All I wanted was just a little fun. None of this commitment to one another bullshit.”

 

“You were the one who wanted us to be more than just us using each other,” he stepped closer to her. “Why are you so against the fact that there is someone in this room that actually gives a shit about what happens to you?”

 

She turned away from him, shaking her head while her fingers massaged her temples. Peter wanted to reach out, wrap his arms around her and whisper how much he loves her until she was fully convinced that he wasn’t trying to be the bad guy.

 

“You were all I thought about in high school,” she began, still keeping her back to him. “You were so secretive and interesting and such a huge loser… and yet, I could not stop thinking about you. Even after graduating. Even in college. You were always fucking there. It was irritating but it was also comforting. You were this piece of home that I carried around with me. I had accepted that I probably wouldn’t see you again. And then you were sitting in that coffee place, looking like you had just walked out of a nightmare and everything came rushing back. It was overwhelming. I wanted to run away from it, from you. You were no longer in my thoughts,” she swallowed loudly and finally turned to face him. She wasn’t crying anymore but the expression on her face showed that she was torn. “You were actually right in front of me.”

 

Peter tried to swallow the knot that had formed in his throat. He parted his lips slightly and let out a shaky breath, trying to keep himself calm and his emotions on check. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how to make all of this better.

 

“I wish I hadn’t walked into that coffee shop that day,” she whispered but his heightened senses allowed her voice to seem like she had shouted in his ear. 

 

He felt the air leave his lungs for the second time that night. He knew she only said that to push him away. She didn’t mean it and yet… he felt every bit of pain. He felt angry, frustrated, hurt.

 

He felt powerless.

 

Peter cleared his throat, sniffing his nose to stop it from running. “Do you want me to go?”

 

She didn’t reply. She wasn’t looking at him anymore. She looked out the window, her arms wrapped around her stomach, shielding herself.

 

“Tell me to go and I’ll leave you alone. You’ll never see me again,” he took in a deep breath. “I’ll make sure of it.”

 

Her voice cracked. “Just go.”

 

He was already walking to the door before the last word escaped her mouth. He swung open the door and and slammed it shut. Instead of going down, he took the steps to head to the roof, skipping two or three steps at a time to get there faster. 

 

He will keep his word. He’ll stay out of her life.

 

But there was no way in hell he was going to let her go inside that building alone. 


	16. The Revealing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally here! lol I know some of you have been asking for this update for a while now but this is such an important chapter in the story so I wanted to take my time with it. I actually finished it a week earlier but I wasn't satisfied with how I wrote it so I ended up completely trashing it and starting all over so I'm sorry for taking so long!
> 
> Just as a heads up, this chapter features both MJ's and Peter's POV and also keep an eye out for the time frames. Those are very specific to how the chapter is laid out. Also, as a disclaimer, I have never really written action before so I'm sorry if that part sucks lmao I tried my best to picture and describe action sequences as best I could.
> 
> Have fun reading! - N xx

**Peter - 11:52 a.m.**

 

There wasn’t enough coffee in the world to have kept both Ned and Peter up. The sunlight casting down through the high windows illuminated across Peter’s eyes which made him flinch. With a groan, he opened his eyes slowly and Ned’s face came into focus. His mouth was slacked open, his cheek pressed onto the table below him. Peter had made his backpack into a pillow and when he lifted his face and touched his cheek, he could feel the ridges the folds in his backpack had imprinted on his skin.

 

“Ned,” Peter croaked and then cleared his throat. He spoke louder, “Ned!”

 

Ned startled and whipped his head up in alarm. A sheet of paper was glued to his cheek and even as he opened his eyes and adjusted himself to be fully awake, he took no notice of it. 

 

Peter glanced down at his watch- 11:54 am. He rubbed the sleep off his eyes and finally stood to wake up the rest of his body. After leaving MJ’s building, he had called Ned to meet him at the lab. He told him everything that happened in the alley, with MJ. Ned had asked why Peter didn’t just tell MJ the truth about him being Spider-Man and Peter genuinely didn’t have an answer to that. Everything had happened so fast and he wasn’t sure if revealing his other identity would make matters better or worse. 

 

They had walked into the lab and immediately set to work in identifying what the vial contained. They ran test after test with nothing conclusive until Ned came up with a different method; to separate the compounds in the vial and test them all separately. They had used most of the liquid up to that point so they were counting on that last drop to give them answers.

 

“Is it done?” Peter asked.

 

Ned peeled off the paper off his cheek as he turned his head to look at the machine they had left working while they slept. “Looks like it.”

 

Peter walked over and typed in his credentials to get access. The screen lit up and ran down a list it had compiled as it ran the test. Peter printed a copy and quickly snatched the paper up and read through it, looking for anything he recognized. 

 

“What did it find?” Ned asked.

 

“There’s a small percentage of psilocybin,” he mentioned and then explained. “It’s a type of hallucinogen found in mushrooms. It has a higher dosage of PCP which basically numbs the body but it creates the same effect.”

 

“So it’s just a drug. Why couldn’t we find it before?”

 

“Because it has more,” Peter said and handed the report to Ned to look for himself. He went back to the computer and opened up the browser. “Ever heard of ephedrine?”

 

“No,” Ned replied.

 

“Yeah, me neither.” Peter typed in the name and opened up the first result. Ned stood behind him, reading over his shoulder. “It’s basically an herb. It stimulates changes in the body and causes high blood pressure and speeds up the heart rate,” Peter summarized.

 

“That sounds like any other energizer you can buy off the counter,” Ned added. “What makes this herb so special?”

 

“Well,” Peter turned to face him, “technically, it’s illegal just like all the other stuff combined with it.”

 

“So, Lotrek has created a new drug that basically acts as a stimulant? Makes people go crazy? How the hell is that beneficial for them?”

 

Peter shrugged, working his bottom lip with his teeth as he tried to make sense of everything. “The symbiote needs it. He threatened me not to get in his way of getting more of this stuff. But it killed that man in the alley.”

 

“Maybe he wants to use it to kill the whole city of New York? It wouldn’t be the first time  _ that’s _ ever happened, you know,” Ned told him.

 

Peter shook his head and began to pace around the lab. “It could do that on its own, trust me. He called the guy his ‘experiment’. He was trying to see what the drug would do…”

 

“So he can use it on himself,” Ned finished for him.

 

Peter snapped his fingers. “It needs a host to survive, right? A human host? If he uses the drug, it’ll affect not just him but the human he’s inhabiting.” Peter recalled back to the night before with his encounter with Venom. “It’s been with its host for a while. It can’t jump onto the next human he sees because that body is the only one that can sustain him.”

 

Ned just stared at Peter, waiting for him to get to the conclusion as to what exactly they were going up against. 

 

“They’re dying,” Peter told Ned. “And they need whatever Lotrek has brewed up in their building in order to stay alive.”

 

“I still don’t understand how the drug helps when it’s basically a drug cocktail and can clearly be lethal,” Ned questioned.

 

“To a human,” Peter said. “Venom isn’t human. The ephedrine combined with the hallucinogens could be enough to kickstart his system and use himself to help out its host.”

 

“Who is it?”

 

“I don’t know but I think we’ll find out eventually,” Peter stated. He turned back to the table where they had slept on and gathered all of his things, stuffing it into his backpack. He shuffled through paperwork they had littered all over. “All I found in Ferguson’s office were reports that had nothing to do with his research or coursework. None of it,” he signaled the table, “makes any sense as to why Venom was using him.”

 

“Do you think he invented the drug?” Ned asked.

 

Peter stared down at the table and sighed. “Possibly. There’s no proof he did, though.” He zipped his backpack closed and then threw it at the wall, letting out his frustration. “I can’t fucking  _ believe _ I never saw it. Any of it! If I had known, I would have stopped him. I could’ve- I could’ve fucking stopped him and now MJ is involved-”

 

“Peter, none of this is your fault,” Ned interrupted him. “I was there too and I never questioned Ferguson even when he began acting strange.”

 

Peter took a quick glance at Ned and nodded once before looking back down at the ground. He wasn’t fully convinced but there was nothing else he could do about what happened. All there was left is making sure the symbiote was stopped. He webbed his backpack towards him and grabbed his coat.

 

“Where are you going?” Ned asked.

 

“To find MJ,” Peter replied as he put on his coat. “I’m going to tell her the truth.”

 

***

**MJ - 5:19 p.m.**

 

MJ forced her foot to stay still. She had been bouncing her heel for a whole hour since she sat down at a small table by the window of a local bakery that was right across Lotrek’s back entrance. She was waiting on Linda, who was meeting her to go over the plan for the hundredth time.

 

MJ hadn’t slept at all last night. Things with Peter ended in such an unexpected way, she was hoping it had all been a dream but the slam of the door shutting after he left was very real and it still resonated in her ears along with his words. She kept tossing and turning, his warning making her rethink if sneaking into Lotrek was truly a good idea but then she’d get upset for even allowing him and her head to doubt herself. She had stared at her phone, willing it to light up with his name on the screen but when the first call rang through she turned off her phone and tossed it away from her.

 

Her phone began to vibrate on the table in front of her. Instead of the expected call from Linda, Peter’s name showed on her screen and just like the many times before, MJ declined the call. She knew they had to talk but she knew she couldn’t afford to get upset again when she needed to be focused.

 

She wasn’t sure if he had meant what he had said. That once he left, she wouldn’t see him again and for someone who doesn’t scare easy, MJ had felt completely panicked. That wasn’t what she wanted and she didn’t know why she sent him away. She wanted to fix things but first, she needed to get into Lotrek and just be able to prove to him that she’s more than capable of handling the task.

 

The door to the bakery opened and Linda came shuffling in, excusing herself from the small crowd that had formed near the counter. She spotted MJ and made her way over. 

 

“Just a few more hours,” she squealed as she sat across MJ. “I feel like I’m in a movie.” MJ tried to smile just as her phone vibrated once again. Linda eyed the screen as MJ declined the call. “Is everything okay?”

 

MJ sighed. “Peter and I got into an argument last night.”

 

“Oh,” Linda pouted. “That sometimes happens though, right? I’m sure you guys will patch things up in no time!”

 

MJ pressed her lips into a thin line. “Not so sure about that,” she began and went on telling Linda everything that happened the night before. 

 

“Wow,” was all Linda could say once MJ was done.

 

“Exactly!” MJ exclaimed in relief, glad that at least there was one other person who agreed that the whole argument was unnecessary.

 

“No, yeah, it’s totally obvious,” Linda nodded.

 

MJ furrowed her eyebrows. “By obvious you mean that he shouldn’t have tried to stop me from doing this, right?”

 

Linda shook her head. “It’s freaking obvious he cares  _ a lot _ about you. I might even say it goes deeper than that,” she muttered as she looked away.

 

MJ ignored that last part and groaned in defeat. “I know he cares but if he cared so much then he would understand how me doing this is a big deal.”

 

Linda shrugged. “True, it’s not like you’re stealing from the president.”

 

MJ’s phone began to vibrate and they both stared at it until MJ reached out and declined the call. Not a moment later, Linda’s phone began to ring and she answered heartedly, “Hello!”

 

MJ crossed her arms over her chest just as Linda’s eyes locked on hers. Her smile faded as she answered to whoever was on the line. “Yeah, she’s here. Hold on.” She pulled the phone away from her ear and handed it over to MJ, “It’s for you.”

 

MJ reached tentatively for the phone and brought it up to her ear. “Michelle Jones.”

 

“Why haven’t you been answering the phone, MJ? I’ve been trying to look for you all day.”

 

Peter’s voice rang in her ear and caused her heart to jump up to her throat. MJ glared at Linda who only mouthed a “sorry” before leaving the table to get in line for food. MJ closed her eyes in frustration and fought with herself whether to hang up or actually speak to Peter.

 

“We need to talk,” Peter continued. “There’s some stuff I have to tell you.”

 

“I agree,” MJ muttered.

 

“Tell me where you are and I can meet you there-

 

MJ interrupted him. “I agree that we need to talk but not right now. Maybe after.”

 

“‘After’? What do you mean, ‘after’?” He questioned but didn’t wait for her to answer and MJ could visualize him understanding what she meant. “MJ, please. What I have to say has to do with Lotrek.”

 

MJ rolled her eyes before she could stop herself. “I’m doing this, Parker, and I don’t need your permission for it. Whatever you have to tell me can wait for after when I get done with what I need to do.”

 

She heard him groan. “You’re not listening to me!”

 

“I can’t do this right now!” She shouted back, not caring the many looks the strangers around her were giving her. This was  _ exactly _ what she didn’t need just hours before she went inside Lotrek. She was adamant to admit it to herself but she was nervous even though she knew the steps in her plan were well thought out. Getting upset all over again only altered her nerves and she needed to be focused if she was going to do this right. “I need to go. Please stop calling and just wait for me to call you. And stop calling Linda, too.”

 

She hung up before he said another word and placed Linda’s phone on her side of the table. MJ leaned back in her chair and sighed. She turned her neck to look across the street towards the back entrance of Lotrek’s building where she would make her entrance in just a few hours.

 

Linda came back with a small wrapped package and a to-go cup of coffee. She sat down, smiling excitedly down at her food. She didn’t ask about the phone call. “You’re okay?”

 

MJ looked around at the small bakery. She glanced at the chalkboard menu hanging on the back wall and sighed again. “I need a drink,” she said and stood from her seat and made her way to the exit. She heard Linda scrambling behind her, trying to put back the croissant she had bought back in the small box before following her out the door.

***

**Peter - 9:31 p.m.**

 

“Anything?”

 

“Nope, nada,” Ned replied as he threw a file to the side to join the stack of files that had piled up next to him.

 

“It has to have some sort of weakness besides whatever is already killing it,” Peter thought out loud. After his brief conversation with MJ, he knew it was hopeless to try to persuade her to see him before going into Lotrek. He met Ned back at the lab and decided that he needed to find everything he could that could help him against the symbiote. “What about an anti-drug? Something to slow it down?”

 

“That could take  _ hours _ to create, even if it’s just for one dosage. And we don’t know enough about its biology to create the right anti-drug that would work,” Ned pointed out.

 

Peter pushed away Ferguson’s paperwork away from him. “This is all useless,” he muttered as he pushed his seat back and began pacing.

 

“If it makes you feel any better, it’s already weak since it’s dying,” Ned shrugged.

 

“Are you saying I can’t take him?” Peter asked.

 

Ned raised his hands up defensively. “The way you described it made it seem really terrifying so I’m just saying…”

 

“Yeah, nice pep talk, man,” Peter shook his head.

 

“As your best friend, it’s my duty to sometimes reveal the brutal truth,” he simply replied and returned to look through more files. “What does sound waves have to do with the symbiote?”

 

“What?” Peter asked.

 

Ned stood and walked over to Peter, the file open in his hand. “This whole file is about sound waves and frequencies.”

 

Peter took the file and read a couple of the pages inside. “They’re all experiments,” he placed the file down on the table and took out its papers and scattered them around until he found what he was looking for. “They’re reports of previous experiments done on symbiotes.”

 

“Symbiotes? As in  _ plural _ ?” Ned asked, his voice squeaking.

 

Peter nodded. “I’m guessing wherever Venom came from, there were others too. High frequencies can put them under stress. They basically have a seizure-like reaction to sonic attacks.”

 

“We can create some sort of weapon to put into your suit!” Ned shouted, sounding suddenly excited. 

 

“Do we have enough time?” Peter asked as he followed Ned to another table where he began powering up his laptop.

 

“For a whole new weapon? Don’t think so. But,” he held up a finger, “I can create a new code or alter the interface just enough to emit a high frequency sound. It won’t affect you but it could be enough to slow it down.” He typed away at his laptop, creating a code Peter had never seen before.

 

He turned away and grabbed his backpack, pulling out his suit from inside. He laid it out on the table next to Ned and turned the suit inside out. Ned took out a cable from his own bag and attached one end to his laptop and the other to a small USB port integrated in the suit. 

 

“It’ll take up to an hour,” Ned commented.

 

Peter looked down at his watch. He wasn’t sure what time MJ was supposed to start her ‘mission’ and an hour seemed like a long time to just be standing there not doing anything. His phone began to vibrate in his pocket and he pulled it out. The screen lit up with constant alarms from the police transmitter he had Ned program into his phone. He slid his finger across one of the notifications and his phone opened up to a live radio call from a nearby tower.

 

“ _ We have multiple reports about an unknown entity bolting across buildings in the city. All units report to 8th avenue. Subject seems to be heading down that path…” _

 

“Shit,” he muttered under his breath. “Any way you can speed it up?”

 

“Um,” Ned narrowed his eyes at the screen and typed frantically. “It’s barely at twenty-two percent…”

 

“ _ Subject has broken into the Lotrek building. I repeat, subject has broken into the Lotrek building. Proceed with caution…” _

 

Every nerve inside Peter’s body trembled in alarm. If Venom was already in the building, then MJ was stuck inside with it. His heart started to beat a little quicker, pumping adrenaline and fear throughout his body as Peter tried to figure out what to do. He knew he couldn’t let the symbiote get the drug but he wasn’t about to risk MJ’s safety over it.

 

“Pause it,” Peter told Ned. He disconnected the cable from his suit and flipped it inside out again so that it was back to normal.

 

“You have nothing that can help you stop it,” Ned countered as he watched Peter undress and then put on the suit.

 

Peter put the rest of his clothes over the suit and attached the bracelets to his wrists. “We’ll figure it out later. I’ll keep him away from the drug but right now,” he turned and headed towards the door, “I need to get MJ out of there.”

 

***

**MJ - 9:22 p.m.**

 

MJ watched Michael place her Lotrek badge on the surface of the scanner. A green light lit up and ran across the surface. A small screen above them showed her badge and a green check mark indicated she was allowed through. 

 

“The hard part is over,” Michael smirked as he handed MJ her badge back. “I’ll take you to the stairs.”

 

Michael was Linda’s guy who was able to get MJ’s badge and was helping them from the inside. MJ followed Michael down a wide hallway veering to the left of the back entrance she had used. 

 

“How do you know Linda?” MJ asked.

 

Michael turned his head to glance at MJ before turning back. “We met a couple of years ago. Got me out of big trouble so I owed her one.”

 

“Even though this is basically breaking and entering?” MJ asked curiously.

 

“I landed this job for my training as security. An internship, if you will.” He stopped at a door with a keypad by the door handle. He pressed six numbers, MJ taking note in case it became handy later, and the door unlocked. He opened it and turned to face her. “I agree with you. They’re up to some sketchy shit up there and if I’m someone who helps you uncover whatever it is, the better. I could even get transferred to work at the Avengers headquarters if shit goes down.”

 

MJ rolled her eyes but smiled. “Glad we could help with that.”

 

He chuckled and then pointed up the stairs. “There’s another packaging room on the second floor that most likely contains what you’re looking for. I’ll be able to freeze the cameras for thirty minutes until the security program notices the malfunction and then turns on the alarms.”

 

“Thirty minutes? Linda said you could get me an hour,” MJ said.

 

“Thought so too,” Michael leaned against the door as if they were old buddies catching up. “I checked last night to see how long it could last but the big guys up there updated their security and cut it back short so really, I just saved your ass.”

 

“Right.” MJ secured the small backpack she had brought with her. “See you in half an hour then.” She walked past him and ignored the small smirk he was giving her. She began climbing the stairs when he called out to her.

 

“The room will be the fourth door to your left,” he informed her. She nodded her thanks and was about to continue up the stairs when he stopped her again. “When you’re done uncovering the truth or whatever, you want to grab some coffee?”

 

MJ wanted to roll her eyes, turn away and just simply ignore him but she stayed put and actually contemplated his offer. The first thing that came to her mind was Peter and everything that had happened between them and the short time they had spent together. Part of her wanted to say yes to Michael but another part of her chastised her for even thinking of dropping that low just because things with Peter weren’t at their best.

 

MJ took in a deep breath and lifted her chin as she replied, “Thank you but I’m taken.”

 

She didn’t even wait to see or hear Michael’s reaction as she ascended the stairs leading to the second floor. She felt some sort of pride at being able to voice what she did out loud. It almost made her laugh thinking how just a few months ago, she would rather choke on air than label herself as someone who was ‘taken’.

 

She opened the door to the second floor and immediately saw a hallway to her right. The left led to a dead end, floor to ceiling windows showcasing a black and white view of the city. She started down the hallway and a small shiver ran down her spine as her footsteps echoed back to her almost too loudly. Ironically, the empty floor gave her a sense of claustrophobia like as if someone or something was just lurking among the shadows ready to pounce on her.

 

MJ noticed the fourth door Michael had mentioned and practically ran to it. Just to make sure, she looked down the long hallway before turning the door handle and opening the door. She stepped inside and let the door close on its own. The lights flickered on as her presence activated the automatic light switch. The room looked similar to the one she had sneaked into on the fourth floor. Same boxes littered the floor and were stacked on metal shelves along the wall. Even the highly secured door at the end of the room matched the structure.

 

MJ pulled her backpack off her shoulders and pulled out the first camera. She quickly took a picture of the box nearest her, making sure to get the barcode in the frame. She did this with several other boxes until her first roll ran out. She went back to her backpack and pulled out another camera. She was taking pictures of the last boxes by the back door when she paused and looked around.

 

She bit her lip as she thought about her next move. Sure, pictures of the different labels on the boxes were good enough evidence but they didn’t really answer the main question that had started MJ down this path.  _ What were in those boxes? What was Lotrek making and shipping to who-knows-where? _

 

Most of the boxes were sealed with tape. If MJ were to open one of them, it would be clear someone was in here and the last thing she wanted to do was to draw suspicions and have all of this blow up in her face. She looked around, trying to find at least one box that wasn’t taped right, or one with a rip that could give her a small peek inside. She unstacked several boxes and was about to give up when the last box she uncovered was missing the tape that sealed the folds together.

 

“Bingo,” she muttered to herself. She knelt down and for some reason, grew nervous thinking about what she was about to find. She lifted the folds and opened the box that contained about fifty small empty vials. MJ reached in and got one and held it up to see it better. 

 

“These are empty,” she thought out loud. These couldn’t be what they were sending out and being so secretive about. She placed the vial back and inspected the outside of the box, looking for the label that all the other boxes shared. This box in particular had no label and no barcode. “Oh, you’re not ready yet.”

 

She took a picture of the vials anyway and stacked the other box on top of it just as it was. She sat back on her heels and sighed. She was so close and yet the only thing she had were pictures. She looked around to see if she had missed anything and when she was sure she had all the pictures she needed, she walked back to her backpack on the floor and stuffed the camera inside.

 

She checked her watch. She still had a good fifteen minutes left before she had to meet Michael downstairs. She turned and eyed the secured door across the room and bit her lip as she contemplated taking a try at the keypad. 

 

She walked over and stopped before the door and tried to remember the code Michael had used to open the door to the stairs. She lifted her finger above the keypad and let it hover over the number three. 

 

If she got it wrong, will it set off an alarm? But what if she got it right? What if whatever was inside that door was what Lotrek was manufacturing and putting inside those vials?

 

MJ pressed the six-digit code and was about to press the ‘enter’ key when a loud growl came from above her. She looked up at the empty ceiling and then she heard it again, except this time it sounded more like a screech. It sounded far away but it was loud enough for her to be able to hear it. 

 

A box to her left fell off the shelf behind her and she jumped back, vials breaking inside the box. Then another fell and another and it was then that she realized the the walls were shaking. Panic grew into her chest and she tried to steady her breathing as she pressed her back to the door. The whole room was shaking now, something like an earthquake traveling from the floor up to her legs, shaking and leaving her bones trembling.

 

She moved towards the exit, her arms up at her sides to keep her balance as the room shook and kept her from finding a clear path to the door. Before she could reach the handle, a box to her left dropped down from the highest shelf and hit her on the side of the head. She cried out as she stumbled to the floor. She touched the side of her head and drew back blood and felt it run down her temple to her cheek. 

 

MJ kept moving even though her vision blurred and a pounding headache began from her left side. She was just a few feet from the door and she had her hand out, willing her fingers to find the door handle. Her energy seemed to seep out of her as she dragged herself closer. 

 

Her bloody fingers touched metal and she held on tightly. She was lifting herself up when her fingers slipped and she fell back to the ground and then everything turned pitch black.

 

***

**Peter - 9:57 p.m.**

 

Peter swung through the air, zipping and pushing himself forward as fast as he could. He asked Karen to call Linda and prayed that MJ was still with her.

 

The phone rang three times until Linda picked up. “Hello?”

 

“Linda!” Peter breathed out loudly as he swung around a building and climbed up to the roof. “Where’s MJ? Is she with you?”

 

“Uh, I don’t know if I’m allowed to release that kind of information,” she said nervously. “Especially to you.”

 

Peter groaned. He could see Lotrek in the distance, just a couple of blocks from him. Venom was nowhere to be seen but the police cars swerving through the lanes, their lights a flashing combination of red and blue, indicated that it had reached its destination. “Linda, I need to know! If she’s inside the Lotrek building she can seriously be in danger.”

 

Linda didn’t respond right away and Peter knew she was trying to decide whether Peter was telling the truth or not. He was running out of patience when a loud  _ BOOM _ echoed from the building. Peter’s heart began to beat erratically and his fingertips tingled as he crouched down, ready to spring off the roof. 

 

“What was that?” Linda asked.

 

“Is MJ with you?” Peter said each word slowly, dreading the answer.

 

“Oh god,” Linda whispered. “She’s already inside.”

 

Peter didn’t wait for the words to leave Linda’s mouth before he was already flying through the air, breathing hard, pushing past the pain in his chest to get to the building. A familiar screech met his ears as he landed on one of the higher windows of the Lotrek walls. He let his suit’s vision scan the tiny bodies filing out from a back door, facial recognition showing him all the faces of the night shift workers being evacuated. 

 

The walls began to shake and Peter crawled around until he found a huge gaping hole where he guessed Venom had made its entrance. Live wires hung down from the ceiling, sparking on and off. Peter dropped in and tried to make out any more noise that would let him know of the symbiote’s location. Desks were scattered around the room, papers still floating all over the place. 

 

“Karen, check for any more bodies inside,” Peter spoke.

 

Through the programmed screen in the suit’s eyes, Peter waited as Karen ran an infrared scan towards the nearest floors below and above him. As he looked around, he saw nothing out of the ordinary and he only hoped that meant MJ had gotten out safely. 

 

“There’s one body, two floors down,” Karen’s voice rang in his ear. 

 

Peter found the body through the scanner and the mixture of red, yellow, and green was too vague for him to be able to pinpoint if it was MJ or not. It didn’t help matters when the body showed no sign of movement. Whether it was her or someone else, he still had to get to them. He yanked the vent cover from one of the high corners of the room and climbed up and through it. He crawled rapidly, using Karen’s virtual blueprint to navigate through the vents until he reached the opening above the hallway where the body lay.

 

He kicked the vent and heard it clang onto the floor. He dropped down and looked down the hallway and behind him. The body lay a few feet in front of him, just inside a room. Peter held his breath as he approached the door slowly. 

 

“MJ?” He asked out loud but he doubted whoever was on the other side of the door could hear him. 

 

He tried the door handle but the door wouldn’t open. He pushed and pulled more forcefully but it wouldn’t give. “What the hell?”

 

“All doors have been automatically locked. It’s a security breach programmed throughout the building,” Karen informed him.

 

Peter cursed and turned to slamming his fist on the door, hoping the noise itself will wake the person up. He backed up a couple of steps and then ran, bracing his shoulder and crashing it against the door. He did this three more times and all he managed to do is create a small dent on the metal.

 

All of a sudden, everything around him stilled as his ears picked up on a roof collapsing and heavy footsteps pounding across the floor. He could hear its snarl from where he stood and he crouched down, letting his vision focus on the noise’s origin. 

 

“He’s here,” Peter whispered to himself. He glanced at the door and imagined the helpless body that lay past it. He hated the feeling in his gut that told him that it was MJ who was stuck inside. Venom was on the same floor and he had to do something to drive him away from her. 

 

He ran away from the door and toward the sound. Another hallway opened on his right and he stopped. He looked around the corner and saw vents bending down through the roof. Long fluorescent light bulbs hung down from cables- some still on and bright while others flickered in warning. Peter climbed until he was upside down on the roof. He crawled slowly, avoiding the lights and letting his hearing pick up on any noises. 

 

“Looking for me?” 

 

Peter looked down past his legs and found Venom standing tall and proud at the end of the hall where he just came from. 

 

“Oh, hey! I’m glad you came.” Peter dropped down and stood across the symbiote, eyeing the bag it had fisted in its hand. “Uh, going on a trip?”

 

“I told you to stay out of my way,” it growled back. Its constant sneer irritated Peter and all he wanted to do was knock it off its face. 

 

“That’s really hard to do when you come barging in here and getting innocent people hurt,” Peter shouted as he took a few steps closer to it. He needed it to focus on Peter, attack him, do whatever to him as long as it kept him away from MJ.

 

Venom tilted its head to the side and Peter felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand. He realized too late the mistake he had just done. “I’m just doing what needs to be done to survive.”

 

“You’re dying, I get it,” Peter continued, taking a few more steps. “I know a couple of people who can help you but this  _ has _ to stop.”

 

Venom screeched, the sound piercing through Peter’s eardrums and making him flinch back. By the time his hearing came back and he looked back down the hallway, the symbiote was gone and Peter only had one second to panic before he set off running. 

 

He turned the corner and he saw Venom sprinting towards the door Peter was trying to keep it from. He wasn’t as fast but he shot webs towards the ceiling, several feet in front of Venom, and he pulled down hard so that the tiles showered down. That only stopped Venom for a few seconds but it was enough for Peter to catch up. He webbed its arms and pulled back at the same time as he pushed off the floor and used the webs to pull himself forward and kick Venom square on the back.

 

With a screech, Venom flew across the floor and used its clawed hand to slow itself down. Peter panted as he stood, fists clenched, as he prepared for another attack. Venom glared at him and reached for the nearest object near him, a vending machine, and propelled it toward Peter but Peter just wrapped webs around the machine and directed it back to Venom. It dodged it easily and too late did Peter realize that it had thrown a large plant, along with its base,  toward him. Peter flipped back, the plant whizzing past him and crashing against a wall. 

 

Peter landed on a crouch and he glanced up to talk Venom down but all he saw was Venom’s elongated limb reaching past him and yanking the door next to Peter off its hinges. Peter turned in time for the door to miss taking his head off but he froze as he saw the familiar curly hair covering her face.

 

All air left his lungs as he felt his knees go weak. He needed to get to her, check that she was still breathing but his legs wouldn’t move. “MJ,” his words came out barely a whisper but he felt like he was shouting them. This was what he had been trying so hard to avoid. From the very beginning, he knew that getting involved with MJ would only lead her to danger and he cursed himself for being so damn selfish and for not trusting his head when he thought about the consequences. He had gone through so many losses but this was one he knew he couldn’t survive. He willed her to move, for her fingers to twitch to let him know that she was still alive.

 

Nothing.

 

He felt like Venom had his hand around his throat, cutting off oxygen to enter his lungs and then with a jump, he grasped at his neck only to find that Venom was actually choking him. He felt his body fly through the air as Venom flung him across the hall. Peter was so disoriented that he didn’t know what was happening until his back crashed against a wall and he felt a searing pain travel all the way to his fingertips. He fell down to the floor in a heap and he groaned as he tried to force his arms and legs to lift him. He tasted blood in his mouth and he was forced to swallow it, the metallic taste scratching down his throat. 

 

He lifted his head and his eyes searched for MJ but his vision was blocked by Venom’s looming figure as it approached him. “Leave her alone,” Peter mumbled although he doubted it could hear him. He was on his knees and was pushing himself to stand but Venom had gotten to him and its hand was back around Peter’s throat. He felt his feet leave the ground as Venom brought his face up in front of it.

 

“I made my warning very clear and yet, both of you are here,” his snarl vibrated down Peter’s body. “I came for one thing and never planned on hurting anybody but now,” he chuckled quietly and it was the most terrifying sound Peter had ever heard, “I might just rip you apart.”

 

“The drug,” Peter gasped, “it’ll kill your host.” Peter didn’t know if this was true but he had to stop Venom. It could kill him but it would still get away and take the drug and Peter couldn’t let it escape, not when he wasn’t sure the drug would create an even bigger monster. 

 

“ _ I  _ can heal  _ him _ ,” the symbiote retorted. “ _ This _ ,” he lifted the bag that he had been carrying, “will make  _ us  _ stronger.”

 

Peter could feel his ears pop from the pressure inside his head as Venom’s grip cut off most of his circulation. He looked at anything but at the horrid face in front of him and a spark from a wire hanging down from the collapsed ceiling behind Venom caught his eye. He let his hands drop from clawing - to no effect - at Venom’s arm. He eyed the live wire and placed whatever energy he had left on focusing on that wire before he lifted his hand just slightly and shot a web towards the wire. It caught and Peter held on tightly and pulled it so that it swung in their direction and Peter grabbed it and plunged it deep into Venom’s shoulder.

 

The symbiote dropped Peter as the electric shock made it shriek in agony, its whole body jerking and twitching in convulsions. Peter forced himself to move out of the way and to run towards MJ. He crouched down in front of her and gently pushed her hair out of her face. Blood had dried down her cheek and Peter fought hard not to shake her awake. Instead, he placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it softly, “MJ? MJ, I need you to get up right now,” he pleaded. 

 

He looked over his shoulder. Venom had managed to take out the wire from his shoulder and was now panting, his shoulders rising and falling rapidly, smoke coming off his skin. Peter turned back to MJ and shook her shoulder a bit more forcefully. “MJ, please!”

 

She stirred and Peter dropped down in relief, his chest relaxing as MJ slowly opened her eyes. As her vision adjusted, her eyes grew wide as they noticed Peter sitting in front of her. Peter had forgotten that he was in his suit and the person MJ was looking at was not Peter at all, but Spider-Man.  

 

“What- What’s happening?” She stuttered as she lifted herself up. 

 

Peter watched her carefully and eyed the gash she had on her temple. “You’re inside Lotrek. I need to get you out of here,” Peter stood. Recognition flashed across MJ’s face and he knew his voice had given him away but he didn’t have time to explain. He looked back to where he had left Venom but it was nowhere to be seen and that only made Peter nervous. “Come on,” he helped MJ to her feet and tried to ignore her curious looks. “I’m going to head out for a few seconds just to make sure it’s safe but I need you to wait for me to give you the all clear, alright?” MJ didn’t respond. She just stared at him and Peter fought the urge to not groan. Now was  _ not _ the time for her to be stubborn. “Just stay here.”

 

He stepped out of the room slowly and took one quick glance at MJ before walking down the hallway. Everything was too quiet and it only put him on edge, which was an advantage because now he could focus on using his senses to warn him if Venom approached. Karen helped him identify the nearest exit. The only opening was a stairwell down the hallway and to his left. He listened carefully for any sound. If anything, Venom had left and that meant Peter still had to find him and stop him for hurting anyone or even the person he was riding with.

 

Peter turned back and stopped in his tracks. MJ was out of the room, her face contorted in confusion. Peter held his hands up, stopping her from moving any further, “I told you to stay inside.”

 

“What the hell is going on?” She asked.

 

“I’ll explain once we get out of here.” He pointed behind him, “The stairs are right-”

 

“ _ Watch out!” _

 

Peter dodged the punch just in time but it had anticipated his move so that when Peter moved to the side, another blow hit him straight on the jaw. He staggered back and looked at Venom, who looked pissed as hell despite the teethy green he had glued on his face. Venom made to lunge his arm towards Peter again but Peter flipped onto the ceiling and then dropped to swing in Venom’s direction, using his momentum to land a hard punch across the symbiote’s face. He landed behind it, steering its attention away from MJ. She stood frozen, watching them both and Peter wished she would either go back into the room or find another way out of here.

 

Venom sneered at Peter. “I was going to let you live,” he growled, “but now you’ve pissed me off!”

 

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” Peter shrugged, taunting him to come closer and away from MJ. He looked around for any more live wires but they all seemed to have gone out. He remembered that fire and high frequencies were the only things that could potentially stop it but none of those things were available. 

 

“I’m going to squish you!” Venom continued.

 

Peter actually rolled his eyes. “Let me guess? Like a bug?” He managed to let out a chuckle before he shot web after web at Venom’s face, covering his vision. While Venom tried to pull the webs off his face, Peter took the opportunity to shoot even more webs. They expanded as they flew out and captured one of Venom’s hands so that it stayed glued to his face. Peter webbed the other hand attached it to a piece of the ceiling that had fallen down. When Venom tried to pull its hand back, the rubble got stuck behind two paralleled vents that cascaded down from the ceiling, keeping Venom in place. 

 

Peter turned back to MJ. “Let’s go. Now!” He waved her over and she finally registered what he meant as she took a few steps in his direction. She quickened the pace, her eyes glued to the huge alien writhing against tight webbing just a few feet behind Peter. He had managed to lead MJ down the hallway just when the entrance to the floor opened when a familiar screech let him know that Venom had somehow gotten free from its restraints.

 

“Down the stairs,” Peter told MJ but she stood rooted to the spot, staring at him.

 

“Who are you?”

 

Peter sighed. “I think you know.”

 

Her eyes softened and she opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. This was not how Peter had planned to reveal himself. Not in the middle of all this mess. He wanted nothing more but to run to her and hug her, to apologize for not telling her the truth earlier. He wanted to say something,  _ anything _ , that would let her know that he never meant to hurt her.

 

He felt something wrap around his waist and then he was lifted into the air. Peter shot his webs from both hands, grasping at anything solid that would stop him from going back down but nothing caught and so he braced himself for the impact. The room blurred as Venom brought him down and then all the air left his body as he was crashed down onto the concrete floor. Black spots obscured his vision as he tried to breathe oxygen back into his lungs. He reached out in front of him and he felt rocks and cracked concrete. His breathing was short. He had a second to breathe before his chest ached and he had to exhale. 

 

He turned on his back and looked up at the terrifying face above him. His arms and legs felt useless and he was taken back to that place so many years ago when he felt his own body stop working from the inside out. He looked over to his right and saw MJ standing farther back. Her hands covered her mouth in shock. She needed to move. She needed to leave and get out safely. 

 

He sensed a large hand approach his face and then his mask slipped off. His face was exposed. He saw MJ drop her hands and saw her lips move to form his name. She sounded so far away. She now knew who he was. 

 

For some reason, his eyes travelled to a spot on the wall behind MJ. The red shape embedded into the wall pulled at Peter’s memory. Ned’s voice rang in his ear as he remember the one vital piece of information he had learned earlier. He looked back at MJ and tried to grab her attention with just his eyes. She just stared back, clueless. He shifted his eyes back to that red object and returned to look at MJ, hoping she caught on. Her eyebrows furrowed and she hesitated a bit before she turned and looked at what Peter was trying to point out. She seemed to have caught on because she whipped her head around to look at Peter. Peter forced to move his head and nodded. 

 

“Pull it,” he croaked out and when MJ didn’t move, he forced every ounce of energy out on his voice as he shouted, “ _ PULL IT! _ ”

 

MJ shot off just as Peter felt Venom’s foot press down onto his chest. His hands moved then and he pushed against the slimy limb but to no effect. He watched MJ run in slow motion. Saw her hand reach for the switch and when she pulled it down, the shrilling alarm went off all around him. He knew the frequency wasn’t high enough to completely render the symbiote motionless but it was enough to get him to back off. Its hands reached up to its head in pain as it shrieked and roared and stumble back. 

 

Peter quickly got to his knees and gathered a few breaths before he pushed off the ground and glanced back. Between its writhing, Peter could see Venom’s face sort of pull away from itself, like slime being teared apart. Peter caught a look at the human Venom had embodied with and his throat closed up as he recognized the man’s face.

 

The alarm had obviously upset the symbiote because even through its havoc state, it grabbed whatever object it could reach and threw it aimlessly in Peter’s direction. Peter dodged them all easily, moving towards MJ at the same time. He began to guide her towards the stairs when a huge vent flew above their heads and crashed through the floor to ceiling window. The air from outside rushed in and Peter had a second to think before he faced MJ. 

 

“Do you trust me?” He asked her. He saw her swallow slowly. With the circumstances they were in, this was the first time she was truly looking at him.

 

“Yes, I do,” she muttered and that’s all he needed to hear before he took a hold of her hand and pulled her with him. He wrapped his arm around her waist tightly just before he jumped out the window. MJ automatically wrapped herself around him; her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist. They freefell for a couple of seconds before Peter shot his web towards the nearest wall and swung himself and MJ away from the chaos inside the Lotrek building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you not only for your constant support but also for being so patient lol I can't promise it won't happen again but I can promise that I'm putting as much effort as I can into making this a pleasurable read lol
> 
> \- N xx


	17. The Aftermath - MJ

MJ didn’t know what was worse; flying through the air with just Peter to hold onto or flying through the air with her eyes closed. She refused to open her eyes because she was sure that if she took even the smallest glimpse, she would either faint or vomit from a hundred feet above the city. So she clung onto Peter’s shoulders as if her life depended on it, which technically, it did.

 

She felt his arm tighten around her back as he made a wide turn. The cold air blowing against them nipped against her cheeks but it was a welcomed feeling. Anything was better than being inside that building.

 

MJ had her legs wrapped around his waist and she shifted herself up so that her ankles could lock more tightly. He didn’t say a word and she herself couldn’t think of anything to say. What she had just witnessed was something she never thought she would see with her very own eyes. 

 

Her conscious screamed at her for being so  _ stupid _ . She should have trusted Peter. She should have known that he wouldn’t try to stop her from doing something if he didn’t believe it would put her in danger.

 

She let her fingers stretch for a few seconds from the tight hold she had on his shoulders. She could feel the material of his suit under her fingertips and she thought back to that moment when that- that  _ thing _ pulled off Spider-Man’s mask. Her younger self would have shot her fist into the air in triumph to see that her theories were right all those years ago but in those seconds, all she could feel was panic. The person who had cared for her since the beginning, who had made her feel things she never imagined she could feel, was about to be crushed to death. She had never wanted to be so wrong in her entire life.

 

MJ was glad her eyes were closed shut because it helped stop the tears that had formed in her eyes. She buried her face into the crook of Peter’s neck and let out a breath of relief just knowing that he was okay. 

 

“We’re here,” he told her. 

 

She didn’t even know where ‘here’ was but she let her feet unlock from around his waist and drop down to solid ground. She opened her eyes as she released her hold on him but he still remained holding her for a few seconds before he let go. MJ looked around and found herself standing right in front of the same building she had walked into a few days ago to talk to Peter and Ned about Lotrek.

 

“Take my ID and go through the front door. Ned’s all the way down, last door on your right. Use the ID to unlock the doors,” Peter instructed as he handed her his school’s ID.

 

MJ took it and then looked up at him. He was looking for something in his bag but MJ had a feeling he was just avoiding her gaze. “What about you?”

 

“I have to call May. I’ll go in through the roof.” He didn’t say anything more as he turned and zipped himself towards the top of the building. MJ watched until he disappeared on the roof and then willed herself to walk towards the front entrance of the science building.

 

She found the room immediately and scanned Peter’s ID. A small  _ click _ let her know that the door was unlocked and she walked in to find Ned busy typing rapidly on his laptop. She walked in slowly, wondering if he knew. Or if he knew that  _ she _ knew.

 

“Hey,” she muttered.

 

Ned unglued his eyes from the screen to turn and look at who had spoken. His eyes grew wide as surprise registered on his face and he blinked, getting rid of the trance he was on. “What- what are you doing here, MJ?”

 

“Peter,” was all MJ managed to say.

 

Ned nodded slowly as he understood. “So, the secret’s out, huh?”

 

“Pretty much,” MJ chuckled softly as she took a seat on one of the lab stools. 

 

“What happened?”

 

MJ told him her side of the story to the point where she got knocked out. “Everything went black and it felt like seconds until someone shook me awake. Next thing I know, I’m looking right at Spider-Man’s face.”

 

“Did you see it?” Ned asked.

 

MJ stared at him, confused about what he was asking about. “Oh, that  _ thing _ ? Yeah, I saw it. It was fucking horrifying and I swear I thought he almost killed Peter but then Peter told me to pull the fire alarm-”

“The fire alarm! Duh! Why didn’t I think of that?” Ned smiled as if he hadn’t heard the small fact that his best friend almost died.

 

“Do you know what  _ it  _ is?” 

 

“A symbiote,” Ned clarified. “Basically an alien life form that needs a human host to survive,” he continued once he saw MJ’s confusion. “That’s what we were studying for our thesis and then it escaped.”

 

“What was it doing at Lotrek?” MJ asked.

 

“Looking for a drug.”

 

MJ turned towards the door and saw Peter walking in. He had a backpack in one hand and he no longer wore his suit. His usual clothing covered his body but nothing could hide the many scratches and bruises his face showed. His lip was busted and the side of his hair was plastered down with something thick and dark. MJ’s head pounded to remind her of her own injury.

 

“Lotrek has been creating a sort of drug and distributing it across the country. To humans, it acts like a hallucinogen,” he continued as he walked towards them. “A fancier way to get high without the risks of getting involved with the wrong group of people. For aliens? A cure from dying.”

 

He spoke to both of them but only looked at Ned. MJ stood and walked over to stand next to Ned so that Peter had no choice but to look at her. She understood why he was avoiding her. They had so much shit to talk about and what happened in the last twenty-four hours was a huge weight on it all. 

 

MJ crossed her arms across her chest as she laid out her questions. “Ned said it needs a human to survive? Does that mean whoever was carrying that thing around is dying too? Who is it?”

 

“About that,” Ned chimed in as he typed something into his laptop. “I looked into the origins of the symbiote and only one person has been associated with the symptoms I would assume a person would have if their body was being infiltrated by an alien. Only one name comes up, Eddie Brock, but there’s no identification on him or any other type of info. It’s like he’s never existed-”

 

“I know who it is,” Peter interrupted.

 

Ned and MJ stared at him as they waited for him to explain. 

 

“Rick,” was all Peter said. He reached into his front pocket and pulled out his phone. He slid the phone across the table and on the screen, a very blurred out picture showed a man in pain, the alien expanding all around him. MJ immediately recognized Rick’s face. “I transferred it from the live recording on my mask that was left there. ‘Rick’ was a cover.”

 

“Holy shit,” Ned muttered.

 

“May,” MJ gasped, snapping her gaze back to Peter.

 

“She’s fine. Turns out she broke things off with Ri-  _ Eddie _ a few days ago when he started acting not like himself,” he told them. “I thought about why I didn’t get a vibe from him and I genuinely think Eddie isn’t a bad person. Conflicted? Maybe.”

 

“I certainly got that vibe,” MJ added. “But I just labeled him as weird.”

 

“Do you think he knew who you were?” Ned asked.

 

Peter shook his head. “But the symbiote did. That day at the lab when it woke up. It’s a pretty intelligent species so I know once he saw the schematics of my mask on my laptop and then saw me, it put two and two together.” He finally laid his eyes on MJ. She took in a deep breath and stared right back in defiance. He looked away and focused his attention on Ned. “I put a tracker on him before we left,” he continued. “Think you can set up those gadgets by tomorrow, buddy?”

 

“Definitely,” Ned smiled excitedly. 

 

Peter threw him his backpack. “I’m gonna go home and see if I can find any scraps to be able to build something useful out of it. Maybe grab an old mask I can use, too.” He turned to leave and then said, “I can take you home if you want.”

 

MJ knew he was talking to her and so she nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine.”

 

They said their goodbyes to Ned and left the room. Peter walked in front of her, his shoulders hunched, not muttering a word. MJ followed behind him silently. She wanted to fire off a million questions but only one was the most demanding; why was he being so distant?

 

“I hope we can take a cab. Swinging through the air is not my favorite choice of transportation,” she joked, hoping to end the silence.

 

He chuckled and MJ felt a bit of the tension she was feeling ease away as they stepped out into the cold night. They walked across the university’s grounds towards the exit before Peter hauled a taxi over. Peter gave the driver her address but she stopped him and gave his address instead. He looked over at her and nodded as he understood.

 

The silence returned as they sat next to each other. MJ fidgeted with her fingers as she avoided the driver’s eyes glancing back at her through the rearview mirror. She was sure he wanted to ask why she was bleeding from her head but her mind was overwhelmed with so many thoughts, she didn’t think she would be able to provide a logical lie.

 

Minutes felt like hours as they finally turned on Peter’s street. He paid the driver with a wad of crumpled cash he pulled out of his pocket and then they both exited the car. Again, he walked in front of her, not saying anything and MJ’s patience was wearing thin as she followed him up the stairs. 

 

He opened his door, turned on the lights, and walked in. MJ closed the door behind her. Peter made way for the stairs and MJ hesitated for a second before she took them as well. He kept the lights off in his room. MJ stood there awkwardly and watched as he took off his jacket. His back faced her. He groaned in pain as he removed his shirt next. It was too dark to tell, but MJ could imagine the bruises and cuts that had been made on his body. 

 

“There’s a first aid kit in my closet,” he spoke. 

 

“Can we talk first?” She could clean up her face once they were able to talk about what the hell happened. 

 

“We will.” He finally turned to look at her but even in the shadows, she couldn’t make out his face. “I just want to clean up, okay?”

 

MJ sighed in frustration but nodded anyway. “Yeah, okay.”

 

Peter walked over to his dresser and pulled out random clothes before heading to the bathroom. He closed the door behind him without saying another word. MJ ran her hands up and down her face and she winced when her fingers rubbed the cut on the side of her head. She might as well clean herself up since there was nothing else to do but brood until he finished showering.

 

She walked over to his closet and pulled on the small string above her to turn on the light. Few clothes hung on the rack a few feet in front of her. A huge black ominous trunk sat below the clothes. Lodged between the wall and the side of the trunk was the first aid kit. MJ pulled it out and placed it on top of the trunk as she squatted down. Gauzes, band-aids, alcohol wipes, aspirin and other supplies were stocked inside. MJ stayed clear of the alcohol wipes and went with the water based wipes instead. Just as she ripped one of the packets open, she realized she needed a mirror and the only mirror in this apartment that she knew of was in the bathroom.

 

Where Peter was.

 

She heard the water running as she approached the bathroom door. She wasn’t sure where their relationship stood at this point. She didn’t know if walking inside was crossing a line. Knowing him, he was probably trying to give her space to process everything but she didn’t need  _ space _ .

 

She opened the door and walked in. He didn’t seem to have heard her because his shadow across the curtain stood still, his head hung down between his shoulders. MJ began to remove her clothes, throwing it all in a heap by a corner of the room. She pulled back the curtain a bit to see if he would react but he remained still as a statue. She stepped in and stood behind him, bare, the water reaching her legs as it fell over his head. 

 

Under the vague lighting, MJ could see the bright bruises etched all over Peter’s shoulders and back. She wanted to reach out and touch him, soothe him and just tell him that they were both okay.

 

“You should probably get under here before all the hot water runs out,” he spoke over his shoulder.

 

MJ couldn’t help but smile because at least he hadn’t told her to leave. The tub was pretty small so she had to turn her body to the side to be able to squeeze by him. She stood in front of him just as she felt the warm water hit the top of her head and cascade down her back. Her muscles instantly relaxed against the pressure as she looked directly at Peter. They were a few inches apart, both of them trying to get some of the thin current of water. 

 

He looked exhausted. He stared back at her blankly but MJ knew he was holding back from saying anything in fear of how she would react. 

 

“I guess my high school theories were right,” she said.

 

He smiled the smallest smile she had ever seen him smile as he nodded. “I hate it when you’re right.”

 

“I know,” she replied. “I also know why you had to keep it a secret.”

 

“I wanted to tell you. Back at the coffee place before all of this shit went down. I didn’t want to keep it from you,” he told her.

 

She looked down at the huge bruise forming near his ribs. “Either way, I should have listened to you.” He didn’t say anything, proving that she was right. “Do they still hurt? You know, because of the whole powers thing?”

 

He laughed as he looked down to see the bruise himself. “Yeah, it still hurts to get hit but it’ll be gone by tomorrow. Unlike this,” he pushed the hair near her temple back to reveal her cut, “this is going to scar.”

 

She shrugged as she looked at his face. “The hair will cover it up. Besides, it’ll be like a battle scar.”

 

He frowned at her words. His hand remained near her face. “I hope it’s the last one you’ll ever get.”

 

She saw the worry in his eyes and she finally understood why he was so distant. He was blaming himself for what happened tonight. “Hey, none of this was your fault. I was the one meddling and sticking my nose in something that was way over my head. You warned me and I completely ignored you. I said some very stupid things that I didn’t mean-”

 

“I still left,” he said. “I should have told you then that night in your apartment who I was and why you needed to stay away from Lotrek. I should have told you the truth and maybe you wouldn’t be here, bleeding from your head. You would have been  _ safe _ .”

 

“You think if I knew the truth about you before I wouldn’t be right at your side helping you? I wouldn’t have walked away. I would’ve gone with you-”

 

“And  _ that’s _ the problem, MJ. Because I know you would still have done anything to bring down Lotrek, to take down the symbiote, completely forgetting your own safety. I know that because I know  _ you _ . Me being who I am,” he paused as he looked sternly at her, “it’s not just capturing crooks and making headlines. There are people out there -  _ monsters _ \- who want to kill me. Who do you think they’re going to try to look for in order to get to me?”

 

MJ stayed quiet even though she knew the answer. 

 

He sighed and closed his eyes but continued to talk. “I can’t handle knowing something can happen to you because of me. Even if that’s exactly what happened tonight.” He opened his eyes to look at her. “But I really can’t picture my life without you in it, either.”

 

She smiled because in truth, she felt the same way. “I always knew there was something odd about you, Peter Parker. But it turns out that that odd thing about you is what makes you so  _ annoyingly _ special. I never knew you carried this huge weight on you with what you do,” she stepped closer to him and wrapped her hands around the back of his neck, “but if I can be someone who can help take some of that weight off, be there for you with or without the mask on, then I will be that someone.”

 

He didn’t say anything for a few seconds, just gazed at her like the many times he’s done before. “You gotta trust me, MJ.”

 

She nodded. “You gotta trust me, too.”

 

“And I do,” he said, “but if I tell you to do or not to do something, trust that I’m not telling you to show some power over you. With these- these  _ abilities _ , I sometimes get the sense of when something is not right. Everything I do, I do it to protect the people I love and care about-”

 

“What?”

 

“What?” Peter repeated but the sudden panic showing on his face made it clear he knew what he had said. 

 

“What did you say?” Her heart was beating fast and hard against her chest.

 

“Um… that you have to trust me?” He backed away and pulled the curtain to the side so he could step out. MJ turned off the water and followed him out. He handed her a towel before beginning to dry himself. 

 

“No, after that. About why you do the things you do,” she persisted.

 

He glanced quickly at her and shrugged as he wrapped his towel around his waist. “You heard me,” he mumbled and picked up his clothes, handed his t-shirt to her and left the bathroom as if it was on fire and he couldn’t escape it any faster.

 

MJ dried herself and slipped on his t-shirt. She walked out of the bathroom and found Peter’s bedroom empty. “Here,” he appeared behind her with a pair of boxers in his hand, “I don’t know if these are a good substitute for women’s underwear.” MJ took them anyway and pulled them on as she watched him go into the closet. A few moments passed and he finally came out with sweatpants and a baggy shirt on and the first aid kit in his hands. He pointed towards his bed, telling her to sit down.

 

“I will if you tell me what you just said in there,” she told him, crossing her arms over her chest.

 

He had the nerve to roll his eyes. “Will you just  _ sit _ ?”

 

She didn’t move for five seconds. Grudgingly, she dragged her feet towards the bed and sat down. He walked slowly, moving the stuff inside the kit around until he found what he was looking for. He ripped open a small packet with his teeth before he squatted down in front of her. The hand holding the damp wipe headed towards her head and MJ stopped it before it got any closer. “Is it going to sting?”

 

He chuckled and shook his head. “It’s hydrogen peroxide. It’ll just disinfect.”

 

She slowly moved her hand out of the way, still wary. His focus was on her head and she took this time to really see him. She had never seen him this bruised up before, this exhausted. She couldn’t imagine him having to take on such a huge responsibility. Many years ago, she played with the idea that the shy, introverted Peter Parker was the noble, brave hero of New York but in the back of her mind, she always thought of it as just that- an idea. 

 

Anyone else would have gloated to anyone that listened that they were a superhero. But not Peter Parker. He could’ve told everyone at school. It could’ve pushed away the bullies that tossed him around. It would have attracted all the pretty and popular girls. Peter had decided to keep it all a secret, to remain that kid no one ever saw or acknowledged because he was okay with being that kid and now being that type of adult. 

 

There was only one other person MJ ever truly admired in her life. One person who was her drive and motivation to be who she is and to become even better but now, looking at Peter’s beaten face, she felt her admiration expand.

 

“I wish I could read your mind,” he whispered as he dabbed the wipe on the side of her head. He was right, it didn’t sting at all.

 

“There’s no fun in that,” she replied, still watching him. “Tell me what you said.”

 

He smiled. “I guess there’s no point in me trying to avoid it any longer,” he sighed. He stopped cleaning her cut and threw the wipe into the aid kit. He remained crouched in front of her, his hands on either side of her legs. “I don’t know the definite moment when I knew. I think in all the time that I’ve known you, there were instances and little pieces of you that I loved. Even when we picked on each other. When you wore those high tops or even your favorite green jacket. Recently, it’s been your laugh, rare enough as it is,” he chuckled. He picked at an imaginary piece of lint on the shirt she wore. “And there’s your damn stubbornness. Or when you cross your arms and your chin goes up automatically.” He demonstrated and she pushed his head back playfully, shaking her head. He captured her hand in his and held it, his thumb caressing her knuckles softly. “A part of me started to fall for every little piece of you until it just became whole and then it felt natural and  _ real _ and…” he paused and looked up at her. 

 

MJ had never been in this position before. She had never felt so vulnerable and yet safe at the same time in the hands of just one person. She didn’t know if the heavy beating of her heart against her ribcage or the annoying flutter in her stomach was her own body letting her know that yes, this is everything you should feel when you start to realize that you love someone. She tried to see herself the next day, a week from today, a month and all she could see was Peter’s face, his hands, his smile, his sarcastic comments.

 

“I love you, MJ,” Peter continued. He stood up and pulled her with him. He rested his hands on either side of her head and held her face. “I think I’ve always loved you and I’m sorry it took me so long to realize it.”

 

MJ shook her head as she placed her own hands on top of his. “It’s perfect timing,” she whispered. She could see that he wasn’t waiting for her to say it back. He wanted her to just know how he felt and knew that she wouldn’t run away- which only made what she was about to say easier to say out loud, “I love you, Peter.”

 

He released a sigh and pressed his lips on her forehead. MJ closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his back, embracing him and feeling completely content despite the chaos waiting for them outside this room. She knew there was no looking back and she was okay with that. His world behind the mask was unknown to her but she was willing to take on the risks and learn if it meant just having him by her side. 

 

He pulled back and she opened her eyes only to see him staring down at her. “I’m going to have to fight Venom again and help Eddie. I know you won’t just stay here doing nothing.” She shook her head just to prove his point. “But I also don’t want you anywhere near when it happens.”

 

“I’ll stay with Ned,” she conceded. “As long as you come back to me in one piece.”

 

His smile didn’t exactly reach his eyes. “I really can’t make that promise.”

 

“Then try,” she whispered. “For me.”

 

He nodded. “I’ll try. For you.” 

 

He kissed her cheek softly before pressing his lips against hers. They were soft, chaste kisses that reminded her of how much she had missed this, just being close to him again. She didn’t even think about his bruises when he pulled her up by her thighs so that her legs wrapped around his waist. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders to hold herself up as the kiss grew intense, their bodies flush against one another. Their tongues caressed one another causing them both to moan in unison.

 

“I love you,” he whispered against her lips and she felt him move as he walked forwards, taking her to his bed.

 

“I love you,” she whispered back before closing the gap between their mouths and kissing him again, focusing and memorizing every touch and feeling he caused as he continued to mumble how much he loved her.

 

All the fear of what was waiting for them the next morning drifted away as they slowly undressed each other, their bodies becoming bare and vulnerable to one another again.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a short one, I think, compared to the previous chapters but there's still quite a few more chapters planned before the end.
> 
> I'll be going out of town for the holidays so I can't really promise a new chapter before the year ends but I'll be working on it with whatever time I find to do so. I hope all of you enjoy your breaks and holidays!
> 
> Also, thank you for being a part of helping this fic reach over 10k hits! It's a huge milestone for a first-timer on ao3 and it's a great motivator to finish this story in a way a lot of you will enjoy.
> 
> \- N xx


	18. Too Easy - Peter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge apology for taking so long in finally updating. I really don't have any excuse other than holidays and me having writer's block. But I finally managed to push through it and so now here it is!  
> DISCLAIMER: This is not the end of the fanfic... at least not yet!

Peter hadn’t slept one second during the night. Even as he tried to close his eyes and wait for his mind to drift off into a sleepless dream, his thoughts came pounding hard into his vision. MJ’s warm body next to him was the only tangible thing that kept him from screaming with exhaustion. 

 

He was overwhelmed, tired. A million things came at him about what he could do about Eddie. Peter’s methods never included having someone killed, even if that someone had done such horrible things, he never believed in taking someone’s life. He couldn’t kill Eddie. He had to remove the symbiote off him, find him help.

 

MJ stirred next to him and snuggled subconsciously closer to him, her head lying comfortably on his chest. He placed the arm that had fallen asleep underneath her along the curve of her waist over the sheet that covered them. Her curls tickled his jaw but it was a welcoming feeling. He had grown used to sleeping alone after all these years but having MJ in his arms like right now, made him feel like he never wanted to go back. 

 

Peter stared up at the blank ceiling and sighed heavily. He didn’t know why he was so sure she would run away after finding out the truth. Last night, he didn’t want to look at her and see that her face showed nothing but disgust or betrayal for keeping something so huge from her. But she stayed. She had asked to come home with him. She had sneaked into the shower with him and stood there in front of him, both of them completely bare and vulnerable. She was understanding. He remembered feeling so many emotions at once; surprise, relief, but mostly just pure and real love for the woman who looked at him with worry and utter amazement despite what she had seen and been through not many hours before.

 

Admitting his love for her was harder than throwing off a five hundred pound monster off him. Their relationship - if he could even call what they had a relationship yet - was short and quick even when they had both agreed to take things slow. But the words he had said the night before rang true. Looking back during their high school days, he remembered MJ as the person he was now, and not as teenage Peter. MJ had always been a big part of his life and he was too blind to realize what had been in front of him all this time.

 

He was still terrified. He felt nervously excited for whatever came next between him and MJ but that small part of him still thought he was being selfish. So far, he had been good with keeping his identity hidden but the last few days had proven that even the slimiest of things could find out the truth and that put MJ in danger. He thought about Ned and Aunt May and how they could be in danger too but they still stuck by him and Peter had to admit that they could hold their own and MJ wasn’t any different.

 

Apparently, the sun had risen up and the first rays made their way through his window, gliding over the bed until it covered both of them with sunlight. Peter started to feel just a tiny bit of drowsiness come over him and he closed his eyes, willing the rest of the world to pause and wait to resume once he woke up.

 

***

 

Peter paid for the four cups of coffee and four egg sandwiches he now carried in one hand. The cups were secured in a cup tray while the sandwiches all laid on top of its paired cup. He walked away from the cart and turned the corner to his street, walking into his building and taking two steps at a time to get back into his apartment.

 

Ned and Linda stayed huddled by the kitchen island as Peter walked in. MJ was the only one who acknowledged his presence. She walked over and took the tray from him as he closed the door. He followed her back to the kitchen when Linda finally looked up, looking as giddy as ever.

 

“I still can’t believe you guys work for  _ the  _ Spider-Man. I mean,” she waved her hands frantically above her head which reminded Peter of a cheerleader at a pep rally, “excuse my French, but this is  _ fucking  _ awesome.”

 

MJ, Ned, and Peter all took turns glancing at one another. They had all agreed to let Linda in on what they were doing but left some specific details out. MJ wasn’t quite on board; she hated having to lie to Linda. 

 

“Yeah, it’s great! But it wouldn’t kill the guy to give some sort of payment for his gratitude,” Ned grinned at Peter.

 

“Hey! He’s out the saving the world and putting criminals in their rightful place so you feel safer every night! That should be more than enough!” Linda glared at Ned. 

 

Ned looked back at Linda, wide-eyed, with his hands raised in surrender. “Alright, jeez. I was only joking.”

 

Peter chuckled as he unwrapped his sandwich and took a large bite. He couldn’t remember when was the last time he had had a proper meal. He could practically moan from how good the bland eggs and stale bread tasted in his mouth. MJ watched him carefully, trying not to laugh. Peter merely shrugged, not having a care in the world as long as he had food in his mouth. 

 

“And what exactly are these supposed to be?” Linda asked Ned as she picked up a thin cartridge that fit easily into Peter’s web shooters.

 

“I call them,  _ spider-volts _ ,” he announced. “The webs are charged at a high voltage so when Spider-Man shoots them-”

 

“Whoever it sticks on gets shocked like a taser,” Linda finished for him. “Nice!”

 

Ned looked slightly disappointed he didn’t get to finish describing his grand invention. To be fair, the idea hadn’t been completely his. He had taken some of the gadgets from Peter’s old tech suit - a gift from Tony Stark - and modified it to work with his new suit. 

 

Linda clapped in finality, “Well, I gotta head off. I have an important article to write,” she winked enthusiastically at MJ as she gathered her things from the table. “Thanks for the coffee and breakfast!” 

 

Peter raised the last bite of his sandwich as a response before shoving it into his mouth. MJ followed Linda to the door and they murmured their goodbyes. Peter took a drink from his coffee and leaned against the counter in front of Ned. 

 

“Has he moved?”

 

Ned looked over at the screen on his laptop before shaking his head. “Nope, still inside that warehouse. Think you injured it?”

 

Peter shrugged. “The fire alarms don’t have that much of a high frequency to cause permanent damage but I think it’s just shaken or worn out. I mean, it  _ is  _ dying.” 

 

“Why not just let it die, then?” MJ had returned from saying goodbye to Linda. She rested her hands on Peter’s shoulders and he relaxed back against her. 

 

“If the symbiote dies, then so does the host,” Ned explained. “And that’s Eddie.”

 

“We can’t let Eddie die,” Peter added. “We have to find a way to separate the two and get Eddie some help.”

 

“ _ Then _ destroy that thing?” MJ asked.

 

Peter stayed silent as he mulled over how to say what he needed to say next. “I’m not sure I want to get rid of it.”

 

Ned scoffed, going all wide eyed. “You’re kidding, right? We can’t just let it run loose so it can find someone else to unconsciously kill.”

 

“I never said we were going to let it loose,” Peter countered. “This is a species, another life form, that could have come from where we were. They need to know what’s happening. To be quite honest, I’m surprised they haven’t shown up yet to ‘help’.”

 

“What are you guys talking about?” MJ asked as she took a seat next to Ned.

 

Peter just stared at the wall behind Ned as Ned replied, “The Avengers.”

 

“What about them?” 

 

“They should be the ones taking care of the symbiote. Or at least, decide what to do with it,” Peter said.

 

“So, what? You’ll just call their office or whatever and they’ll send someone over?” MJ asked.

 

“Basically,” Ned shrugged. “Even if Peter isn’t on good terms-”

 

“We’ll take care of Venom and then we can send an anonymous tip,” Peter interrupted. 

 

“Why aren’t you on good terms with the Avengers?” MJ looked expectantly at him.

 

Peter sighed, running his hand up and down his face. “They offered me a spot with them, I said no. They offered the facility where Tony- I didn’t want to be a part of all that, not after-” he paused. The truth was, fifteen-year old Peter would have taken the chance in a heartbeat to be called an Avenger, but the things he saw and felt and experienced in space… losing Tony, Cap… he wanted to be far away from the memory of it all. “I’m fine with helping out in the city. The whole world is a little out of my element.”

 

He could feel MJ gazing at him intently and he knew she was trying to figure out if there was more to what he was saying.

 

“Did you take a look at what I planned out?” Peter asked Ned, changing the subject.

 

Ned nodded. “It’s simple but effective. I think it’s brilliant.”

 

Peter left and went into his living room. He nudged old trash to the side until he found a large crate filled with broken junk from past experiments. He carried it back into the kitchen and dropped it on the counter in front of Ned. “Think there’s enough scrap in here to make a couple?”

 

Ned peered inside, shuffling some things around. “Yeap, this could work.”

 

“Ugh,” MJ groaned, “it’s like we’re back in high school all over again.” When neither Peter or nor Ned responded to her comment, she stood up and asked Peter, “Can I talk to you for a second?”

 

Her head tilted towards the living room and Peter got the hint. He stood and followed her into the brightly lit room thanks to the surprising, yet welcome, sunshine streaming in through the windows. 

 

MJ turned to face him. “I know I shouldn’t be worried but I  _ am _ worried.”

 

Peter smiled at her. She had crossed her arms across her chest the way she always does when she finds it hard to say certain things. “I never said you shouldn’t worry.”

 

“Last time you came face-to-face with that thing-”

 

“Yeah, I got beaten the hell out of me but my main concern then wasn’t Venom. It was  _ you _ and making sure I got you as far away.” He stepped closer to her and placed his hands on her arms. “Knowing you’ll be safe and out of reach from him is enough to keep me level headed. Plus, it’s not like you won’t know what’s happening. You’ll be my eyes and ears with Ned.”

 

She looked at him sternly for a few seconds and finally nodded. She leaned her body into him as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, embracing her. Peter looked out the window as he held her. The sharp contrast of the weather was inviting but it did nothing to qualm his own worries. Sure, he’ll be better equipped and steady going in to see the symbiote again but part of him still held that fear that it wasn’t going to be easy.

 

***

 

“Almost there,” Peter panted inside his mask as he took a deep dive in the air before shooting a web and using the momentum of his fall to swing himself farther. His vision zoomed in on a tall warehouse located by the harbor. “You guys seeing this?”

 

“Yeap. In great quality too,” Ned replied. Him and MJ were back home, seeing what Peter was seeing thanks to Ned’s skills in integrating the feedback from his mask back to his laptop. 

 

A couple of swings later and Peter landed quietly on the roof of the warehouse. Karen instantly scanned the building, pulling out the blueprint of the area and signaling out Venom’s figure. Except, the symbiote was gone. Peter could make out the form of a human being crouching down in the far corner.

 

“Where is it?” Ned voiced Peter’s thoughts. “You don’t think it just left, do you?”

 

“I’m about to find out.” Peter reached the skylight nearest him and easily opened up the window and crawled inside. It was dark inside, the rest of the skylights placed on the roof being the only source of light. The air felt dank and thick. Peter guessed that this warehouse hadn’t been used in a while. Pipe beams criss crossed here and there, supporting the walls and roof. The space was completely empty except for a small amount of aluminum barrels and the man who stared up at Peter. 

 

_ Eddie. _

 

Peter dropped down to the floor and tilted his head curiously at him. “Where’s your friend, Eddie?”

 

“Resting.” His voice came out raspy, weak. As Peter stepped closer, he noticed that his clothes were torn. In just a few days, Eddie’s face had changed dramatically; his eyes were sunken and dark as if he had been punched, his lips were dry and bleeding, his hair stood wildly in all directions.

 

“So you’re keeping watch for him?”

 

Eddie just looked down, shaking his head. “You’re just a kid,” he muttered.

 

How many times had Peter heard that phrase? He remembered a time in his life where all he ever wanted to do was prove himself to be more than  _ just a kid _ .

 

“Did you know?” Peter asked. Eddie glanced up at him, narrowing his eyes in confusion. “When you met Aunt May,” he continued, “did you know who I was?”

 

Eddie shook his head again but stayed silent. 

 

It weirded Peter out that he had met someone completely different than the man that shook before him. Besides the fact that he had an alias, Eddie Brock seemed more sure of himself. He was a serious man who had somehow made May’s days a little better. Now he looked like death and Peter felt that familiar impulse to do whatever he could to help him.

 

“I can help you, Eddie. That  _ thing _ is eating you alive just so it can survive,” Peter said.

 

“Listen, kid, I know what the consequences are. We both do. Everything would have been fine if you’d had just kept your ass out of this,” he mumbled. His face started to look clammy. 

 

“You killed an innocent man-”

 

Eddie bellowed a crazy laugh. “He was  _ far _ from innocent!”

 

“That still doesn’t give you the right to-”

 

“Save me the fucking theatricals, huh? We’ll give you one last chance to leave. We’ll even do the same, how about that?” He raised his arms as if he was presenting a prize.

 

Peter couldn’t deny that the opportunity was tempting. He could turn away and get back to his life and just trust that both man and symbiote would leave the city for good. They were both dying anyway...

 

“Peter?” MJ’s voice carried through inside his mask.

 

Leaving Eddie to die wouldn’t make him any better than a murderer. He was and never will be that kind of person.

 

“I think I’ll help you instead,” Peter responded.

 

There was a flash of surprise in Eddie’s gaze but he quickly covered it with anger. “Leave me alone,” he said calmly through clenched teeth.

 

“I can’t do that, Eddie.” Peter approached him slowly. He pressed his fingers down on his palm and he could feel the mechanism inside his web shooters shift and shake as the the webbing charged with volts were put in place. Unfortunately, Eddie had noticed the slight movement. Peter raised his hands, “Let’s just calm down, okay?”

 

“I’m not just some fucking  _ animal _ !” He shouted, spit flying from his lips.

 

“That thing inside you is,” Peter countered and too late did he realize his mistake.

 

The symbiote surrounded Eddie completely as if it had swallowed him up. His height grew and that fanged sneer was back.

 

“Does it ever close its mouth?” Ned spoke into Peter’s ear.

 

Peter should have shot it right then but something stopped him. The symbiote was panting even though it hadn’t even moved an inch from where it stood. Besides its face, it didn’t look menacing. It didn’t lunge at Peter or throw heavy object like it had the night before. It just stood there, leering, and stretching its arm high above its head.

 

Peter only had a second to react and dive out of the way as one of the beams came crashing down and clanging in the exact spot he had been standing. He quickly got to his feet and shot his webs in Venom’s direction but the symbiote just caught it with his enlarged hand. The shock waves sprung around its fist and it screeched in pain as the hand retreated and Eddie’s own arm slid out.

 

“You gotta do it now, Peter!” Ned yelled.

 

Peter pressed his fingers down on his palm once again, his gears shifting on his wrist and once he heard the small  _ click _ , he double tapped his palm sensors and made sure to bend his hands as far back as he could as flames erupted from the small shooters. The mask helped stand the heat but Peter could still feel it flow back to him along his arms. He stepped closer to the symbiote who just screeched and backed away until it hit the wall. Peter had to make sure to get as close as possible but not too close to harm Eddie. 

 

Venom’s skin seemed to liquify. Even its attempts to stop Peter were too fragile. Peter took another step. The symbiote cowarded under the heat. It shrunk in size but instead of disappearing inside Eddie, it lunged away.

 

With one hand still blasting fire, Peter changed his shooters to its default setting and webbed the nearest barrel, pulled it towards him and grabbed it, slamming it down on the slimy remains of the symbiote so that it was captured inside. Small bangs echoed inside as it tried to escape and Peter quickly webbed the edges down to the ground to secure it in place.  

 

“Ned?” Peter rushed over to Eddie’s limp body and immediately checked for his pulse.

 

“Ambulance is on its way,” Ned replied.

 

Peter concentrated on feeling Eddie’s pulse and when the faint throbbing met his fingers, he released a sigh of relief as he sagged against the wall next to him. This could have gone horribly wrong and Peter knew better than to wish this was where it ended. The symbiote kept banging against the walls of the barrel and all Peter could do was stare.

 

It couldn’t have been this easy. He knew that in this part of his world there was always a catch, something more than what was on the surface.

 

“Peter? You should go. They’ll be getting there before the ambulance,” Ned told him.

 

Peter nodded silently. He groaned as he got up, checked that Eddie was still breathing and then pulled himself up to the roof. Night had fallen and everything was darker than when he first got there. He forced himself to run into a sprint and then swinging away into the city. There was nothing else to look forward to other than getting home and hugging his best friends.

 

***

 

Sam Wilson stepped out of the vehicle before it came to a full stop. Several armed men and women approached the warehouse before pulling the doors open and walking in. An ambulance stood by, waiting for the all clear to check out whoever was harmed. 

 

James Buchanan Barnes, also known as ‘Bucky’ stood next to Sam, looking over at the scene before them. Sam glanced up at the sky expectantly. It was a clear night.

 

They had received a not-so-anonymous call with information about an unknown alien species and an unconscious civilian inside an empty warehouse. They had easily traced the call back to an apartment that a certain college student inhabited. 

 

“Captain.”

 

Sam turned his attention to one of the men who came forward. “What did you find?”

 

“Man’s name is Eddie Brock. He’s been missing for quite some time. He’s unconscious but stable. They’ll be taking him back to headquarters once they’ve strapped him onto the gurney,” he reported.

 

“And the species?”

 

“It tried attacking one of us but we managed to contain it in the capsule.”

 

“Good. Thank you,” Sam nodded.

 

The man turned to walk away but Sam quickly stopped him. “Was there a note left inside?”

 

The man hesitated. “Um, no, sir. Just the barrel and Brock.”

 

Sam dismissed the man. 

 

“He still does that?” Bucky asked next to him.

 

Sam shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve heard that’s a thing he does.”

 

“You think this was his way of accepting our offer?”

 

Sam scoffed as he watched the EMT’s pull out Eddie Brock from the building and then into the ambulance. “I hope not. I already have you to annoy me all day.”

 

Bucky shook his head but smiled. “Guess he took care of this for us.”

 

“Maybe,” Sam turned away and opened the door to the vehicle. “But this is just the beginning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was actually pretty excited to introduce Sam and Bucky into this chapter. I love the characters so much and I thought it would be fitting that they would be the ones answering the call.  
> Just as a heads up, we are nearing the end of this fanfic, which I think is why I had been stalling from updating sooner. I'm not sure if there will be one or two chapters left but I am both sad and excited to complete this amazing journey of writing a spideychelle fic.  
> If you guys have any questions you would like me to answer at the end of the fic, please leave a comment or ask me on twitter: @/aquatcm.  
> Thank you for reading!! -Nxx


	19. You're Not Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I kind of lied when I said there were a couple of chapter left before the fic was over but... this is it!  
> Writing the last sentence was kind of sad but satisfying, knowing that I got to finish a story that really had no stable plot when I first started it.  
> As a writer, it has been a great journey being able to share this with you all. Thank you for the kudos, the comments, and just taking time out of your day to read this.
> 
> This is the last one, enjoy!  
> -N xx
> 
> P.S. The notes at the end will have a few questions answered.

**MJ**

 

“I’m done.”

 

MJ dropped the last opened box filled with styrofoam peanuts, making some jump out and float down to the floor. The room was filled with a couple more similar boxes. MJ slumped down on her new desk chair and turned her whole body to face the door as Linda walked in with a stack of oversized books covering her all the way up to her face. She placed them gently on the floor and then puffed out a breath.

 

“Explain to me again why Peter couldn’t help us?”

 

“He has to attend the revealing. Which-” MJ glanced down at her watch, “I have to be at in two hours. I told him to get us a good view.”

 

Linda groaned as she took a seat in front of MJ’s new glass and silver desk. “I think this is a sign.”

 

“That we shouldn’t have quit the  _ Daily Bugle  _ and decide to create our own independent journalism organization?”

 

Linda scoffed and dismissed the question with a wave. “Are you kidding? It’s the best and most daring thing I’ve ever done in my life. It felt so  _ good _ to just be able to walk out that door. No, I meant, maybe this is a sign I should take Kristen’s offer and actually join the gym.”

 

They both laughed and sighed as they took a look around their new office building. It was much more modern than the old rickety walls that supported the  _ Daily Bugle _ building. The furniture was simple and elegant; black and white decor with a splash of bright colors here and there made the whole environment more sophisticated. At least, that was the idea. They had started to unbox everything the day before and they weren’t nearly done. Peter and Ned had helped them but today was kind of a big deal for Peter so MJ turned down his offer to help. Although, now she figured it would have done him good to be here and use it as a distraction.

 

Leaving the  _ Bugle _ wasn’t difficult. After the destruction inside Lotrek and the revelation of what they were making and distributing, Jameson had praised MJ, claiming he always had a gut feeling about the company. He expected MJ to run with the story and they did, using Linda’s words, but instead of publishing with the  _ Daily Bugle _ , they sold it to whoever offered the most and used the money to buy themselves a new office. MJ didn’t care about the money. Letting Lotrek’s little secret out into the world was satisfactory enough.

 

“We should just stop for the day. We have the rest of the week to put everything together and tidy up before we officially start hiring people,” MJ suggested.

 

“I didn’t think investigative journalism was an  _ actual _ thing,” Linda said.

 

“To be fair, journalism in general can be considered a type of investigation.”

 

“I’m excited,” Linda grinned at her. “We already have a lot of emails from lawyers and fancy people who are interested in what we have to say. There’s this one firm - I can’t remember their name - but one of the guys is blind but apparently has a great knack for criminal justice. Said they’d be willing to answer any questions and even defend us if it came to that.”

 

MJ’s eyebrows shot up into the air. “Really? I usually expect lawyers to stay away from journalist unless it’s for their own benefit.”

 

Linda shrugged, “You should get going though. I’ll just stack these books up and lock it up.”

 

MJ nodded and forced herself to stand. She had a few hours to get ready and then head to Central Park and somehow find Aunt May in the large crowd that would sure show up. She put on her coat, grabbed her bag and phone, and was about to walk out when Linda called her back.

 

“I think you should be here for this,” Linda said as she pulled out a medium sized frame from one of the boxes. She handed it to MJ and then grabbed a nail and hammer. She was about to hit the nail into the wall behind MJ’s desk when MJ stopped her.

 

“I know a better place we could hang this,” she said. She walked out of the office and into the one next door, which looked almost identical, and pointed to the wall behind the empty desk. “You wrote it. It’s your first published article. It belongs in here,” MJ smiled.

 

Linda grinned back appreciatively and proceeded to hammer in the nail right in the center of the wall above her chair. She stepped back and MJ leaned in to hang the framed article. They both stood back and admired the headline. 

 

MJ felt good about this leap of faith, if you could call it that. Being a journalist was something she always felt was her path but something had been missing. Making sure Lotrek was done for good had been such a huge achievement in her career and it was that final missing puzzle that ensured what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.

 

MJ said her goodbyes to Linda and rushed out the door. The streets were as busy as ever but it brought a sense of calmness to MJ. She hurried down to the subway and took the train that headed toward her neighborhood. She only hoped she got ready in time to catch Peter before the whole show started.

 

**Peter**

 

Peter was thinking about not going after all. 

 

May, Ned, and MJ had agreed to join him for the afternoon to watch as they unveiled the memorial for the new statues they had built in memory of the fallen Avengers. Peter felt guilty for even thinking it, but he wasn’t so sure he wanted them to be there. He didn’t know how he would react. He didn’t know if he would get another panic attack or just simply be overwhelmed with sadness and nostalgia. He really didn’t want his family to see him so vulnerable in public. 

 

He had received the invitation several days ago. It was handwritten by Pepper Potts herself. She had asked him to come and just be present and then he could leave. She wasn’t expecting for him to stay the entire time. MJ had found the letter and offered to go with him and at that point he couldn’t say no.

 

Peter grabbed a random shirt from his closet and slipped it on. He went into his bathroom and made to splash his face with some water, just to lighten himself up before he left.

 

“Man, you should really lock your windows.  _ Anyone _ can fly in.”

 

Peter rolled his eyes as he stepped out of the bathroom and leaned his shoulder against the doorframe. He crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at Sam Wilson, standing in full Falcon uniform in front of his bed. The only times Sam had ever visited Peter was years ago, offering him a spot with the Avengers, and today.

 

“What is it, Wilson? Oh wait, sorry.  _ Captain _ Wilson,” Peter joked.

 

Sam grinned sarcastically before he scowled again. “Nice work with the symbiote.” Peter didn’t reply. Sam continued, “We’re expecting to see you later.”

 

“I’ll be there,” Peter confirmed. “Is that all?”

 

“You know, the offer still holds. The spot is yours for the taking-”

 

“And my answer is still the same. I’m fine with what I do now. I’ll leave avenging the world to you guys.” Peter crossed the room to grab his wallet, phone and keys from his bedside table. 

 

“I know it hasn’t been easy even after all these years but you’re not the only one who lost someone,” Sam said firmly.

 

Peter paused but didn’t turn to look at him. 

 

He continued, “We’ve all moved on and we all took the responsibility that was left to us to carry. I remember the eager annoying kid who practically bounced when there was a chance to join the team. I know it’s not the same after what happened but you have a choice now to be a part of something bigger-”

 

“Never thought of you as the pep talk type, Wilson,” Peter smirked and tried to walk past him but Sam caught his arm, gripping it tightly to keep him in place. Peter stared straight ahead, clenching his fists to stop himself from starting something unnecessary.

 

“I was there too, Parker,” Sam muttered.

 

No one really knew how to describe what happened when half the universe vanished. Peter had no definite memory except for one vast detail: darkness. It was a feeling of weightlessness. He couldn’t hear, see, or talk. He tried to move but his limbs seemed to have lost connection to his brain. He couldn’t tell time. He had been alone. Not even the voice in his head that acted as his conscience had been present.

 

“You know this is what Stark would have-”

 

“I know what he would have wanted!” Peter shouted as he wrenched his arm free from Sam’s grasp. “Just like I know what my uncle wanted! You don’t think I have both of their words running around in my head every second of every day?! I could have given it all up, Sam,” he said breathlessly. “I would have quit but that meant giving up on two of the most important people in my life. I don’t need the title of an  _ avenger _ to do the things I do every day. I’m not only risking my life putting on that mask- I’m risking my aunt, my best friend, my girlfriend. I know what Tony would have wanted. It’s what he always wanted me to do… to look out for the little guy.”

 

Sam looked intently at him until he nodded and cleared his throat. Peter tried to level his breathing, to control the heavy rising and falling of his chest as he calmed down his emotions. Neither of them spoke for a while.

 

“Just think about what I’ve said,” Sam broke the silence. “Pepper is looking forward to seeing you again.” He walked toward the open window and turned to get a look at Peter one last time. “And make sure you lock this damn window.”

 

Peter turned away and walked down the stairs as he heard his window close and the  _ swish _ of wings cutting through the air.

 

**MJ**

 

The sun was still high up behind the clouds as MJ crossed the road and made it to Central Park. News vans were parked along the sidewalk, huge satellites mounted on their roofs to be able to broadcast their live cover to every tv that tuned in. 

 

MJ took the first path that opened up and made her way to the center of the park where hundreds or more people were already gathered in front of a large stage. An empty podium was set on it along with a few chairs lined behind. The statue was covered with a blue satin sheet. It stood over twelve feet tall.

 

“How would you feel to have to see a twelve foot statue of me in my Spidey suit?”

 

She felt Peter approach her from behind but she didn’t turn to face him yet. “Why get a statue when I see you in every corner?” She held her hand out to point out the crowd where more than half of the children and adults wore plastic Spider-Man masks. 

 

He chuckled, “Good point.”

 

She finally turned to look at him and immediately noticed something was off. His smile looked forced and the worry line on his forehead was prominent. She knew better than to ask but she went ahead and did it anyway, “What’s wrong?”

 

He began to tell her about Sam Wilson’s visit as they walked deeper into the crowd to find his aunt. MJ looked at the ground as he guided her, listening to what Sam had tried to say. Just when he was finishing, May came walking up to them along with Ned grinning behind her. She gave MJ a quick hug and then looked at Peter carefully, resting her hand on his cheek.

 

“You okay?” She asked.

 

“I’m fine, May,” Peter replied, trying his best to reassure her with a smile. 

 

MJ could see that she wasn’t convinced but she didn’t pry on. “I know being here can be tough. But you’re not alone,” she grinned at MJ and Ned.

 

“I know. Thanks, Aunt May,” Peter said as he hugged her.

 

There was no way they could continue their conversation without the people surrounding them overhearing. So they stood quietly as they waited for the revealing to start. Paparazzi and news reporters took their spot in front of the stage just as Pepper Potts and her security were seen making their way to the podium.

 

“I’ll be right back,” Peter told them and before any of them could ask, he darted into the crowd, heading straight to the stage.

 

MJ watched him disappear into the crowd. She bit her lip as she thought back to what Peter was telling her and what May had mentioned. It seemed unfair for Sam Wilson to bring up Tony and what he thought he wanted for Peter but she also saw the logic in it. She’d seen the power and dedication that came with what Peter did every time he put on that mask. 

 

He barely talked about what happened the day Tony and the rest were lost to the world. She was curious but she didn’t want to push him. He had never been alone since then; he always had May or Ned to keep him company but MJ had come to realize that he was alone in the aspect that he didn’t share his thoughts and emotions about that day. Only him and and the rest of the surviving team had experienced what happened many years ago. They were the only people who could help him talk about it.

 

So maybe him opening up to the possibility of joining the Avengers wasn’t such a bad idea but MJ wasn’t sure if there was anything - or anyone - that was able to convince him.

 

**Peter**

 

“Excuse me. Sorry- whoa, watch the elbow.” Peter weaved among the throng of people as he rushed towards the stairs that led up the stage.

 

As soon as he was clear of the crowd, he jogged towards Pepper but not before a big buff guy twice his size pushed him back with a hard shove. “I just gotta talk to Ms. Potts for a second,” Peter insisted as he tried to walk around the security guard.

 

The guard pushed him back again, not saying a word.

 

“It’s fine, Sully. No need to get aggressive.” 

 

Pepper Potts appeared behind the guard named Sully. She wore her hair down, as usual. The lines around her eyes had grown over the years and yet, she smiled brightly as she embraced Peter in a tight hug.

 

“How are you?” She asked kindly, holding onto his shoulders.

 

“You know,” Peter shrugged.

 

“Yeah, I know,” she smiled sadly. She dropped her hands and held them together in front of her. “I’m glad you’re here, Peter. I wasn’t sure you would show up.”

 

Peter looked down at the ground, feeling a bit guilty. Pepper Potts had tried to reach out to him several times after Tony’s death and all Peter did was respond short and vague. He had tried to distance himself from anything related to Tony. He couldn’t blame her for doubting his attendance.

 

“I don’t talk about it much,” he confided.

 

“It’s hard to talk about it with people who wouldn’t understand,” she replied. He looked up at her. She smiled softly at him. “But talking about it nonetheless can help anyway. I see you brought your aunt and friends,” she nodded at the crowd.

 

Peter looked in that direction and saw Aunt May taking pictures while Ned and MJ talked. MJ glanced his way and smiled, giving him a small wave. 

 

“I didn’t want to be alone,” he whispered.

 

Tears rimmed Pepper’s eyes. “I’m glad you’re not.”

 

A few seconds passed and neither of them said anything. Pepper spoke first, “I have to go get ready to start. Good luck, Peter. I really am happy you’re doing good.”

 

“Yeah, you too,” he nodded. She hugged him goodbye and turn to walk away when Peter stopped her. “Uh, I just- I’m graduating soon and I wanted to start looking into internships and stuff-”

 

Pepper chuckled. “I’ll send you an application. Stark Industries will be honored to have you.”

 

She walked away just as Sam Wilson and Bucky met her at the stairs. Sam gave Peter a hard look while Bucky just stared at him, his face conveying no emotion. Then he nodded, acknowledging him. Peter nodded back before he turned and walked back into the crowd. He reached MJ and stood next to her, Ned on his other side, and Aunt May a few feet in front of him. He could feel MJ watching him, urging him to look at her but he stared straight ahead as Pepper stepped up to the podium.

 

A collective silence filled the park. It was eerie. The rest of the city carried on but it seemed to have been muted. They all waited.

 

Pepper began by thanking everyone who had come out to see the statue for the first time. She also thanked the viewers back home and the artists involved in the project. As she went on to explain the significance of the statue, Peter slowly stretched his fingers until they met MJ’s hand. She quickly opened her hand, slid her fingers in between his and squeezed his hand gently. Peter still felt utter amazement every time he thought about how far him and MJ have come.  From a small secret turned into something so important to him.  The thought of distancing himself from her now seemed so foolish. He really didn’t know how he could live without her constant company, her stubbornness that only pushed him further.

 

As a group of men pulled on the ropes of the sheet covering the statue, cameras flashed in every direction. Peter recalled his earlier conversation with Pepper and one part rang true. He didn’t feel an overwhelming sadness when he saw the monument. He looked down at his hand holding MJ’s. He glanced over at Ned who was gasping as he gazed at the unveiled statue. Aunt May was looking back at him, probably checking to make sure he was okay. Pepper Potts caught his eye all the way from the stage and winked.

 

For the first time in what felt like a really endless time, Peter didn't feel entirely alone.  

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can be so melodramatic sometimes (lol) but I really just like the theme and the last sentence of this chapter.   
> Again, I'm immensely grateful for all of your support in the months that it took to finish this. You guys were the encouragement I needed to sit my ass down, and write out the chapters.
> 
> I'll answer some FAQ below but if you don't want to read all that, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!   
> -  
> -  
> -  
> Q: Will there be a sequel to DLS?  
> A: As of now, no. I didn't start this with the intention for it to be a continuous story and I think in order for a sequel to be really good, it has to be planned in advance.
> 
> Q: Why name the fic 'Dirty Little Secret'?  
> A: The 'secret' part is what's important. Peter's secret about his powers. Lotrek's secret about its weapon. Rick/Eddie's secret about the symbiote. Ferguson's secret with working for Eddie. MJ and Peter's secret arrangement. The 'dirty little' part was just added for mysterious effect. Plus, it's a catchy phrase.
> 
> Q: Will you be writing more fanfics?"  
> A: I don't have anything permanent right now but maybe in the future. I want to lean on making another Spideychelle fic with a comedic twist.


End file.
